Restless
by The Rickaboo
Summary: A drabbleish account of the development in Yuffie and Vincent's relationship, from Meteor to post DoC.
1. Peace and Quiet

-1**Disclaimer: **FFVII belongs to Square-Enix.

**Note: **I don't have time to sit down and dedicate long chapters to a story right now, but I really want to write another Vincent/Yuffie fic. This was my solution! A series of short, drabble-ish chapters focusing on Vincent and Yuffie's relationship from their meeting to post DoC.

_**One**_

_-peace and quiet-_

The ground glowed a gentle, dull blue, lit up by the moonlight reflected off the surface of the smooth snow. It was quiet, and the air was absolutely still. The night felt heavy, like a blanket had settled over the landscape after the sun retreated behind the mountains.

It was eerie, and somehow Yuffie found it comforting anyway. She was seated on the thick branch of an ancient tree, gazing out across the mountainside to the black shadow of the ocean miles away. Smiling contentedly, she leaned her head against the tree trunk and sighed.

The light crunch of footsteps in fresh snow drifted up to her, and she glanced down with slight alarm as a dark figure emerged through the trees less than forty feet away.

A shift and she saw the moonlight reflect off golden metal. She couldn't hide the amused smile that crossed her face as she relaxed again. He really was becoming quite friendly. For him, at least.

"It is a beautiful night." He said gently, not having to look to know where Yuffie was perched in the tree.

He had seen her come down this way over an hour ago, and couldn't ignore the slight worry when she hadn't returned. Somehow, it reassured him a bit too much to know that she was simply relaxing and enjoying such a beautiful sight. He found the feeling more than a little uncomfortable.

"Yea..." Yuffie found herself afraid to say more. It wasn't often that Vincent would make an effort to be sociable, she didn't want to say too much and make him feel more uncomfortable than usual.

She leaned forward and smiled down at him, catching a bit of that unnatural red shimmer in his eyes when he turned his face up towards her. There was a fleeting smile, hidden by the neck of his cloak.

"You should come in, Yuffie. It is getting too cold to sit out here much longer." He said quietly, a touch of protectiveness in his voice. She knew he was right, though. The temperature was dropping fast, and Yuffie shivered at the sudden reminder of how badly she was dressed for the weather.

A few moments later Yuffie landed gracefully in the snow beside him, beaming up at him happily before losing her balance and falling on her rear in the snow. He couldn't stop the grin from appearing behind his cloak, and offered her a hand back to her feet.

Yuffie grinned in embarrassment, thankful for the darkness to hide her blush from him. They walked along quietly, neither wanting to break that beautiful silence between them as they listened to the snow groan beneath their feet.

With the current state of their planet, it was rare to find an area so peaceful and surreal as these mountains, and Yuffie couldn't help but soak it in. Glancing up at the dark man walking silently beside her, she couldn't help but smile. He'd come such a long way since they met…


	2. Memories

-1**Disclaimer: **I don't own FFVII. Neither do any of the other authors submitting stories to this website.

_**Two**_

_-memories-_

Firelight danced erratically across her face, lighting up her slightly weary features as she rested her cheek on her knee. She was playing his her shoe, rubbing at a scuff that refused to come out, and to the untrained eye, she would have looked almost asleep.

Vincent knew better than to assume that the young ninja's physical exhaustion would affect her mind at all. No, she was deep in thought, contemplating the day that was thankfully past. He couldn't help but feel a bit of pity for her. She had incredible patience for someone so young. He couldn't quite place why, but recently he had taken a certain interest in the ninja and how the others treated her.

Just watching her today, he had been surprised at the often cruel treatment of her by the other members of the group. One teasing joke would go a bit too far, someone would bump into her and not seem to notice, a materia check would end in everyone giving Yuffie suspicious looks.

She was exhausted more from putting up with being the child of the group than from the physical exertion of battling monsters all afternoon.

He studied her cautiously from his place across the fire from her. The corner of her mouth turned down slightly, making her look disappointed in her day. Her brow was furrowed just enough to suggest a deeper emotion than she was letting on, and her half-lidded, stormy grey eyes reflected a turmoil of emotions. Her face was so young and beautiful, but the distress evident in her features made her look so much older than she was.

This was something Vincent often found disturbing. She was only sixteen years old, and yet sometimes when he looked at her he saw a woman ten years older. Yuffie could act so childish she pushed his patience to the limit, or so mature he would stare at her in awe. He had only known her for a couple of months, but he could feel the distance between them closing quickly.

Yuffie, the innocent young girl, and him, the demon and oldest member of Avalanche. He supposed opposites really did attract, and he shuddered at the thought of actually becoming friends with someone. He wanted so badly to tell himself that Yuffie would never consider getting so close to him, and mere minutes later she would bounce to his side with a happy smile.

Vincent realized in one sudden moment that Yuffie was now staring back at him. She had looked up from her shoes and met his gaze, staring back with a sort of playful curiosity. He was about to look away politely when she flashed him a friendly smile.

Maybe getting to know her wouldn't be such a terrible thing, if she could improve his mood simply by smiling.


	3. Accident

**Disclaimer: **FFVII is the property of Square-Enix and Disney.

_**Three**_

_-Accident-_

Angry tears stung at her eyes as she gripped her leg, blood rushing from the gash across her calf and staining the snow beneath her a horrific crimson.

She glanced up, wiping away the hot tears and watching with wide eyes as another monster burst from the snow not twelve feet away. She didn't even bother to shriek through her clenched teeth, watching it intently as a well-aimed bullet sent it flying backwards over the crest of the hill.

Vincent appeared through the swirling snow, Death Penalty shining dangerously in the weak morning sunlight. Another gust of wind and his cloak fluttered out behind him like a warning, a fog of snow bursting past him as he aimed his gun. Another monster shrieked in pain as the gunshot echoed across the mountainside.

She couldn't take her eyes off him, striding towards her majestically in the thigh-deep snow. Blood smeared his cheek, accenting the bright red shine in his eyes. For once, she could see the concern on his face, his eyes not leaving her as he struggled through the wind and snow.

She felt her heart start to beat faster, and suddenly she felt more worried about him getting too close than the monsters coming back.


	4. Airsick

**Disclaimer: **I don't own FFVII.

_**Four**_

_-Airsick-_

Vincent watched from the doorway as Yuffie leaned over the railing of the airship. Her back arched painfully and she coughed violently. She whimpered a curse and leaned so far over he was worried she might tumble over the side if she wasn't careful.

He knew from watching her for the past twenty minutes that there was no way anything was left in her stomach. She coughed again and slid down to her knees, her body shaking from exhaustion. He drifted over to her side and she didn't even bother looking up.

"Would you like me to bring you another tranquilizer?" He asked quietly, about to reach out and touch her shoulder. His hand hovered several inches from her skin before he realized what was happening and pulled it back.

Yuffie groaned miserably and looked up at him, her face unusually pale from the two hour flight.

"Thanks, Vincent, but we're supposedly gonna be there soon and I don't want to pass out in the middle of a battle." She forced a weak smile and he nodded in response. She was right, of course. If she took any more tranquilizers she would have to stay on the Highwind, and just being on the ship made her nauseous.

With another groan, she pulled herself up on the railing and stumbled towards the door. Vincent followed her cautiously, ready to catch her if she fell. He was surprised she was still able to move, the past hour had been grueling on her.

Yuffie wandered over to the corner were some crates were stacked and sat down. Several minutes later Vincent watched as she curled up on her side and fell asleep. To his own surprise, he stood beside her until the announcement went out that they were nearly to Gongaga.


	5. Sorrow

**Disclaimer: **I don't own FFVII.

_**Five**_

_-Sorrow-_

He rested a hand on her back uncertainly as her body was wracked with sobs. She buried her face in his chest and gripped his cloak desperately in her hands, her cries muffled by the thick material.

To be honest, Vincent had absolutely no idea what to do with an emotionally distressed teenage girl. He had walked into the room the Avalanche members were sharing at the Inn and she had immediately thrown herself at him.

And so here he was, pressed up against the wall by a girl he barely knew, and to make things worse, they were alone.

"Yuffie… What is the matter?" He asked quietly, patting her back awkwardly as she looked up at him with tearstained cheeks, her eyes red and miserable.

"I found an old picture of Aeris in my bag and…" Another broken sob escaped her lips and she let her head fall back against his chest.

He resigned himself to standing there awkwardly for the next half hour, letting her cry into his chest.

She had been quiet for five minutes before he dared to try and say anything to her. Placing a hand on her shoulder, he pushed her back slightly and looked down at her. She stared up at him pitifully and he sighed internally at the situation he'd managed to get himself into.

"Aeris would not want you to mourn for her like this." He said gently, nearly jumping in uncomfortable surprise as she pulled herself back against him and started crying again.

It was at that moment that Tifa and Cloud walked into the room, and Vincent stared over at them with desperation in his eyes. For a moment he thought Tifa was about to start laughing, until she realized her friend's distress and rushed over to her. Much to Vincent's relief, Yuffie untangled herself from his cloak and tumbled into Tifa's open arms.

"What did you do?" Cloud asked him suspiciously. Vincent stared down at him in shock and was about to try and think of some way to defend himself when Yuffie started to wail about Aeris and how she was going to be upset with her for not being able to handle her death better.

Tifa looked like she was about to burst into tears too, and Vincent took this opportunity to make an escape out into the hall.


	6. What's on the Inside

**Disclaimer: **I don't own FFVII.

_**Six**_

_-What's on the Inside-_

Once again, Vincent found himself cursing Cloud's decision to split up the team.

An ear-splitting roar ripped through his head and he fell back a step, covering his ringing ears for a moment and glaring up at the troublesome monster that refused to die. It looked like some kind of Vlakorados, standing a good fifty feet high. It was different, however, in that it had long front arms that allowed it to travel on all fours, or walk on two legs. It's skin was a deep red, mottled with rough-looking armor that spiked up in same places. As if anything out here would challenge it, anyway.

He watched as Cloud leapt at it again, his sword glancing off the thick armor uselessly. He let out a loud curse and barely dodged a swinging claw. A quick retreat and he landed at Vincent's side, giving the man a serious glance before turning back to watch the monster dragon stalk towards them again.

Of course, they couldn't turn back. There was only one way through the mountains, and this was it. No, if they wanted to get through the mountain pass, they were going to have to win. The monster advanced too far and Cloud glanced over at Vincent, still catching his breath. They were exhausted from fighting this dragon, and Vincent had had more than enough. Taking aim with his Silver Rifle, he caught it in the eye.

It reeled back, writhing and screaming in pain. It stared down at him with its one good eye, seething hatred and fury. Unfortunately, Yuffie decided to take this chance to jump up from the rock she'd been resting on and attack.

"Yuffie!" Cloud shouted in warning, eyes widening when he realized it was too late.

Several things seemed to happen all at once; Cloud and Vincent dashed forward with weapons raised, the monster wrapped one clawed hand around Yuffie and yanked her into the air, and as it spun around it caught Cloud in the chest with its tail, sending him flying backwards and coughing in pain.

Vincent spun around to help his companion, but Cloud waved him off angrily and gestured toward the retreating dragon.

"Get Yuffie!" He bellowed, leaning over in pain and dropping his sword. Vincent cursed lightly under his breath and took off down the rocky mountain pass after the screaming ninja.

The monster had absolutely no reaction as Vincent shot at it with his rifle. It wasn't until he dug into its armor with his metal claw that it seemed to get disgruntled, and turned to growl at him menacingly.

"Vincent!" Yuffie shrieked, reaching out towards him desperately. He watched in slight amusement as she jammed Rising Sun into the monster's hand.

Instead of dropping her, however, the dragon tightened its grip, squeezing the air from her lungs and making her body go limp. Her head swam dizzily and the giant shuriken fell from her grip to the rocky ground below.

He wanted to call out to her, but as he opened his mouth the creature swung around and he lost his grip, falling through the air and landing painfully on the unforgiving rocks. He cried out in pain, and watched through half closed eyes as the monster rounded on him. He raised his rifle, vision blurring slightly as he felt blood run down the side of his face. Forcing himself to his feet, his stomach churned violently and he paused with the sudden thought that he might throw up.

_-This is ridiculous, it's my turn.-_ An unfamiliar voice drawled in his head. He fell heavily against the rocks and growled at himself in frustration. He was just too tired, they had hiked this damn mountain all day, and fought this monster for the past two hours, there was hardly anything left in him.

As he sank down to his knees, he knew what was about to happen. It had happened several times before, though it was never a happy experience.

Yuffie's fingernails dug into the monster's thick hide as she stared down at Vincent. Her eyes were wide, despite the amount of danger she was in. Somehow, the dragon decided to keep retreating, and Vincent was blocked from view as she was carried off once again.

Filled with anger, Yuffie screamed curses at the monster, struggling violently until she managed to reach a small knife on her belt. She stabbed it into the creature's hand as many times as she could before her body was throw aside and she tumbled through the air. The rocks rushed up at her and she held her arms out in front of her in alarm.

She was jarred suddenly and stared down at the rocks as they rushed by below her, a hand gripping her ankle tightly. She looked up at the demon now dragging her through the air, and fear filled her so quickly she couldn't even scream.

Chaos was perhaps the single most terrifying thing she had ever seen in her life.

How she knew it was Vincent, she couldn't hardly say. She had known that he could change into certain demons when the occasion called for it, but she had never seen it happen. Of course they held similar characteristics, the red bandana that usually held his hair from his face jutted up in violent horns from his head. His skin was disturbingly gray and cracked, and his usually red eyes were now a violent orange. Ragged wings beats the air and Yuffie held her hands over her mouth to keep from shrieking as the demon gave her a death glare.

In one quick movement, she found herself tossed up into the air and Chaos caught her neatly under one arm. She couldn't help the terrified squeal that escaped her when she felt an inhumanly strong arm wind around her stomach, and stared up at him in pure terror as he sneered hatred at her.

"Quiet, pathetic child. I would drop you were you not so valuable to my host." It was Vincent's voice, but held a dripping, venomous tone to it now. A shudder ran down Yuffie's spine, and she forced herself to stare ahead at the dragon now retreating in a hurry. Somehow, it make her feel better to know that Chaos emanated that feeling of terror, and it wasn't just her being weak.

Swooping down low, Chaos tossed Yuffie unceremoniously to the ground and she watched in horror as he tore into the alarmed dragon. She found herself covering her mouth in disgust, and turned away as tears started to roll down her cheeks at the sight.

She sat there for a long time after the horrific noises finally died down. She couldn't even tear her gaze away from the rocky dirt she sat in until a hand fell lightly on her shoulder. She looked up into Cloud's mako blue eyes, filled with worry. He helped her to her feet, and she clung to his side shakily as he walked forward towards the huge monster's corpse.

Vincent was sitting there now, covered in blood and staring down at his golden claw in disgust. He glanced up when he heard his companions draw up near him, and Yuffie could see the pain in his eyes.

She wanted to say something to him, comfort him somehow and let him know it was okay. But she couldn't bring herself to speak to him. She could still see Chaos in her mind, and that shudder ran down her spike again. He looked away quickly, and she closed her eyes as he started to walk away.

"The path is clear, we should hurry to make up the time we lost." He said quietly, not waiting for them as Cloud watched him go in surprise. He looked down at Yuffie in confusion.

"What happened?" He asked gently.

Yuffie felt her stomach roll over violently, and she dashed to the side of the path before Cloud could see her vomit.


	7. Avoidance

**Disclaimer: **I don't own FFVII.

_**Seven**_

_-Avoidance-_

She was avoiding him since the encounter with Chaos. He could see it in her eyes as she scurried by, intent on keeping as much distance between them as possible now that she knew what lived inside of him.

It hurt a lot more than he knew it should have.

He hadn't hardly talked to anyone in their group since the incident. No one seemed to notice, either. He stood in that same shadowed corner and watched them through half-interested eyes, completely disconnected. Yuffie hadn't even glanced his way. The closest he had gotten to her was when they passed each other in the hall, and she had pressed up against the wall as he brushed by.

On more than one occasion Vincent had considered the possibility of leaving Avalanche. He was obviously making the other members uncomfortable, and lacked the means or social skills to remedy the situation.

Two weeks after the fact, Yuffie had progressed to giving him weary glances, and he could see her contemplating with herself.

Some part of him buried deep down inside made him stay. He couldn't rid himself of the hope that maybe she wasn't completely disgusted with him. So he stayed in the shadows and waited.


	8. Forgive and Forget

**Disclaimer: **I don't own FFVII, or much else for that matter.

_**Eight**_

_-Forgive and Forget-_

Vincent stared down at the young ninja with unyielding surprise. Fifteen minutes ago she had come storming out of the materia shop and nearly ran into him. He couldn't miss the shock on her face when she stared up at him with round eyes, but in a matter of seconds a million thoughts had seemed to run through her head and she seemed to ignore the fact that anything had ever been awkward between them.

She walked alongside him as he leisurely explored Rocket Town. The entire time, she stayed close by his side, talking animatedly about how irritating and rude Cid could be, and how Cloud was absolutely no help. All he really gathered from the bits and pieces of her angry rant was that she had gone into the materia shop with them and Cid had given her an earful about how there is absolutely no shoplifting in his town.

He understood why she was so upset, she felt bad about stealing all of their materia in the first place, and no one seemed to want to drop the subject. She was a lot more hurt than angry, he could see that in her eyes.

"Did you hear me, Vincent?"

He blinked and his eyes adjusted on her face, staring up at him with a mixture of humor and irritation. She tilted her head to the side and grinned.

"I apologize, Yuffie, I was caught up in my thoughts." He said quietly, hoping she wouldn't notice how he couldn't meet her gaze.

Yuffie continued walking, just smiling to herself and shaking her head gently. He was puzzled for a moment, wondering in the back of his mind why he felt the need to keep pace with her. What was it about this young ninja that made him feel so relaxed? Why was it that when she was with him he felt human again?

There was something about her that actually made him want to open up, and he found it absolutely terrifying.


	9. Dinnertime

**Disclaimer: **I don't own FFVII.

_**Nine**_

_-Dinnertime-_

"Please? Come on, just try it!"

Yuffie shoved the bowl under his nose, making him flinch back in slight alarm as the thick scent of onions filled the air.

"Yuffie, I do not feel comfortable-"

"Just try it! It's really good!" She insisted, her eyes pleading with him silently as she tried her best at a cute smile.

"Yuffie…" Vincent nearly groaned in protest, barely stopping the sneer of distrust from appearing on his lips.

"Vincent, I can't remember the last time I ever saw you eat anything." Her tone was more serious now, and he stared up at her in concern.

"Please." She said gently, leaning down towards him and resting her cheek cautiously on his shoulder.

He almost smiled. Almost; it came really close for the brief moment before his unintentional shudder jolted her back to her previous stance several feet away.

"It would make me happy." She said so quietly he almost didn't hear her.

Of course he couldn't keep refusing after that. He reached up with uncertain hands and took the chopsticks she offered him. He knew it looked incredibly awkward as he stared at the piece of steaming meat, eyes slightly rounder than usual.

He paused for a moment, glancing up to see Yuffie's hopeful, expectant face smiling down at him. She was wearing an apron several sizes too big for her tiny frame, a thick bowl of food clutched in her hands just inches from her chest as she watched him. He couldn't believe she'd actually managed to get him this far, it was the first time he could remember sitting at the table with the rest of the Avalanche members.

He popped the piece of meat in his mouth and looked away, suddenly embarrassed for some reason. Glancing up warily, he could see Yuffie beaming at him happily as she moved on to place the bowl on the table for the others to squabble over.

It took him a moment to realize that everyone was staring at him with expressions ranging from awe to amusement. Of course the moment it registered to them all exactly what was going on they turned back to their plates and began talking amongst themselves.

He took his leave after that; finding their presence somehow unsettling.


	10. Wutai

**Disclaimer: **I don't own FFVII.

_**Ten**_

_-Wutai-_

The wind was blowing lovingly through her hair, as if the very planet adored her. Her eyes were closed and a small smile graced her face, her ebony locks swinging to and fro across her face. It died down the moment she realized his presence, or perhaps she didn't realize he was there until it stopped. Either way, she turned, her smile widening in honest joy.

His heart was pounding violently in his chest, he knew exactly what was to come; he was, after all, no stranger to women.

"Isn't it beautiful up here?" She said gently, too gently for a girl of her young age. Her voice was aged many years beyond her own, and for a moment, Vincent felt like a child in his grandmother's living room. This was her place, and all of the sudden, she was so much older. It was intimidating, and it made his heart beat all the faster.

"Yes, it is quite gorgeous." He replied childishly, suddenly reminded of the similar talk they had on the mountains to the north of Icicle Village. She certainly was one for nature, he supposed that drew from the fact that their teammates, not to mention other people, seemed to enjoy tormenting her.

"My mother always loved it up here. You know, before Shin-ra…" She couldn't finish the sentence, eyes locking with Vincent's as pain suddenly crossed his features. He didn't want to hear about Shin-ra's involvement in her mother's death, he didn't want to know what the battle he was supposed to have taken part in turned out.

"Anyway, it's so peaceful, you can really forget about all the troubles in the world. I wish it was winter, the snow makes it feel even better." She smiled brightly, and for the first time in many years Vincent felt jealously burn in his chest.

He was jealous of her and her carefree attitude, he was jealous of her ability to bounce back from such painful events. He was so jealous of her that it hurt, and he wanted to cry and scream and tell her everything horrible that had ever happened to him.

But he didn't. Vincent Valentine turned his back on her and walked away, pain gripping his chest and guilt dripping from his soul.

Yuffie Kisaragi let him go.

She could see everything going through his mind, she could feel him tense and relax systematically, as if he was a machine on a dying battery. From the jolt of his fingers to the twitch in his shoulder, she could read the way he walked and the way he stood before her. She wanted to help him, she wanted to know what she could do to ease his pain. But she knew there was nothing but time to save him now, and that was all she could offer.

"Vincent!" She called out, her voice singing with the wind as it picked up again. He turned slowly to gaze up at her with heavy crimson eyes.

"You didn't give it enough time." She said reassuringly.

Of course that wasn't what she meant. He'd been in a coffin for the past thirty years, how much more time could he offer? But he knew what she meant, and he nodded in thanks to her as his heart lifted slightly.


	11. Bad Habits

**Disclaimer: **I don't own FFVII.

_**Eleven**_

_-Bad Habits-_

He was drinking again. She'd known it, even before she'd found a reason to accidentally barge into his room. She could hear his glass clinking sadly on the table from the room beside his. It hurt her inside to know that he was in here, drinking away his pain like it was nothing but a disease.

She threw his glass across the room in disgust. The sound of shattering glass seemed to open his eyes, and he stared up at her with a mixture of hope and fear.

"Would Lucrecia want you drowning your feelings for her like this?" She hissed bitterly, the words falling from her mouth like venom.

Vincent cringed, though the emotion hardly showed on his face.

"Lucrecia never cared." He said harshly. Yuffie gave him a disgusted look and grabbed the bottle of whiskey sitting on the table.

He watched with slight interest as she poured it down the drain.

"This is disgusting, Vincent. You're so much better than this." Yuffie said quietly. He wanted to smile, but the alcohol was clouding his senses and he couldn't trust that that was what she had really said. She turned to glare at him and he stumbled backwards into the wall, head rolling miserably as he tried to focus his eyes on her.

"Do you honestly think that this is how to stop the pain? I thought you were a lot smarter than that." She was beyond furious, and Vincent couldn't help but wonder where her hatred of alcohol stemmed from.

He felt guilty again. He'd let down her expectations of him. She was the only person he knew cared about him, and the only one that he knew had expected a decent role model from him. He would have cut out his liver if he thought it would make her forget what had just happened.

"Yuffie!" He stumbled and fell to his knees, furious with himself and wishing he was sober enough to shoot himself in the leg.

She paused halfway to the door, glaring back at him with tear-filled eyes. He'd hurt her, he had managed to hurt her so much the rest of Avalanche was going to see it. Yuffie was strong, but whatever he had done had broken her spirit so badly she was letting it seep through. He knew he saw tears welling in her eyes, but she wiped a hand across her face and any evidence was quickly gone.

"I'm sorry…" He said softly. Her glare didn't falter, but she stepped closer to him to help him struggle to his feet.

He found himself in a rather uncomfortable predicament then, as he stared down at her with their noses almost touching. He felt a great rush of heat and he knew he must have blushed. Yuffie didn't seem to notice, and shoved him backwards onto his bed.

He thought he heard the door slam, but he was too disappointed in himself to really notice.


	12. Midnight Scare

**Disclaimer:** FFVII belongs to Square-Enix.

_**Twelve**_

_-Midnight Scare-_

Yuffie Kisaragi was terrified. She couldn't even remember the last time she had felt such terror ripping at her soul. Her chest constricted painfully and she pressed her back against the wall, her breath coming out in choked, ragged pants.

A hand brushed against her cheek and she flinched, throwing herself to the side and letting out a shriek. She slammed against another wall painfully and cowered there, arms folded protectively over her head.

The hand brushed against her skin again, more urgently this time, and when she screamed and tried to run she felt fingers wind tightly around her wrist and force her down.

And all at once she was staring at Vincent's chest, as the overhead light was flicked on and worried voices filled her ears. His claw was wrapped around her small, trembling frame, his other hand cradling her head gently as he tried rather awkwardly to calm her down.

Her cheek pressed a bit roughly into his cloak, so close she could feel the rise and fall of his chest and his breathing calmed. It took a few long moments for her to realize what was going on, and she pushed herself back and stared up at the worried gunman.

"Yuffie, can you hear me?" He asked, his voice holding a hint of concern. She blinked in confusion.

"What..?" She breathed, eyes round in shock and the lingering feel of dread. His gaze softened at her response, however, and his grip loosened slowly.

"Oh my god, Yuffie…"

She looked over his shoulder and could see several members of Avalanche poised in her doorway, all of them with horrified looks on their faces. Tifa had stepped forward and leaned down beside her, feeling the younger girl's forehead tenderly.

"I have never heard anyone scream like that in my life." The woman mumbled. "Are you alright?"

Yuffie leaned back and felt Vincent's arms slide back beneath his cloak. She stared up at him as he stood and watched her silently for a moment. Finally, he nodded slightly and turned, brushing past the slowly disbursing group to go back to his own bedroom.

"Yea… I guess I just had a nightmare." Yuffie managed to mumble, pulling her fingers through her hair and wiping the sweat from her forehead.


	13. Summer Days

**Disclaimer:** FFVII belongs to Square-Enix.

_**Thirteen**_

_-Summer Days-_

"Ugh, it's boiling!" Yuffie complained, rubbing a hand against her towel to try and dry it off enough to open her bottle of juice. Her hand slipped yet again and she tossed the bottle into the sand with an irritated growl.

Tifa nodded numbly several feet away, one arm covering her eyes from the glare of the sun. The weather was impressively hot. It was even a bit overwhelming for Yuffie, having grown up in the mild climate of Wutai. With a groan of defeat, she rose from her place on the towel and brushed her hair from her face.

"I'm gonna go for a swim." She said softly, her gaze shifting over the small assortment of Avalanche members willing to be outside in Costa Del Sol at this time of day.

"You wanna come, Vincent?" She asked with a grin, noticing the dark gunman relaxing in the shade as if it was a nice cool day on the Chocobo farm.

His eyes skimmed her form for a brief moment, taking in the surprising curves previously hidden by clothing. Her bikini seemed more than a little inappropriate to him, she was only sixteen after all. Still, it wasn't a sight he was particularly against, and that bothered him so deeply he cast a look of disgust her way before turning and walking away towards town.


	14. Feelings

**Disclaimer:** FFVII belongs to Square-Enix.

_**Fourteen**_

_-Feelings-_

"Yuffie…"

Eyes flew open, hot friction blinding senses for several long moments before the world stopped spinning. Panting breath, rushed and strangled with emotion.

"Vincent..?"

His eyes finally focused, wide grey eyes filled his vision and there was a taste on his tongue he knew was not his own.

She was afraid, it was shining in her eyes. He felt his stomach drop.

"Vincent..?"

Her voice rang so softly in his ears it calmed him even in this state. No, she was hardly afraid. His eyes focused on her face and what he saw shot terror through his soul. Confusion, concern, amusement, excitement…

He threw himself from her bed with wide eyes, only noting with slight relief that there had been a blanket between them. Yuffie shot up and stared at him silently, her lips parted with a desperate question she wasn't brave enough to ask.

"Yuffie, forgive me. I should have been able to stop him, I should have…" He said quickly, the guilty words spilling haphazardly from his lips.

The look on her face made him stop. She seemed disappointed and embarrassed, he wasn't sure he wanted to know how far Chaos had taken the feelings he'd been trying so hard to suppress.

He thought she might have been calling his name as he rushed from the room. He was too upset to hear her if she really had.


	15. Can't

**Disclaimer: **I don't own FFVII.

_**Fifteen**_

_-Can't-_

She brushed past him, not even turning to look as she lead her chocobo through the gate. It warked softly and Yuffie patted its neck with muted affection.

Vincent opened his mouth, shifting forward slightly as he tried to decide what it was he was so desperate to say to her. What had happened was not her fault in the least, so why was he so intent on salvaging their friendship? He had been the one to push her away, she had offered him comfort with open arms. No, he didn't deserve to have even her friendship now.

"See you in Cosmo Canyon." Cloud waved to the rest of the group and turned his chocobo toward the horizon, Cid hurrying after him on an excited blue chocobo.

Yuffie glared down at Vincent for a moment, almost expecting him to say something to her, anything to part them on at least decent terms. His gaze fell and she turned away, following the two men into the distance without a word.


	16. Foul Play

**Disclaimer: **I don't own FFVII.

_**Sixteen**_

_-Foul Play-_

Why couldn't he just stop thinking about her? Why was it so difficult to push her image form his mind? His soul was ripping itself apart, wanting to keep a distance between them, while unable to reject the overwhelming urge to cling to her. It was so dangerous for both of them, he should at least have been able to keep his distance simply to protect her, and yet he found himself unable to keep his eyes from wandering to her face and follow behind her wherever they went. She was a skilled ninja, quite impressive for someone so young, and for some reason he could not shake the feeling that he needed to protect her.

She smiled, dropping the shuriken with a light blush and watching slyly as the boy leaned over to pick it up for her. He rubbed off some dirt with his thumb and offered it to her, catching her fingers in his other hand as she reached for it.

Vincent watched, fuming silently as the boy brought her fingers to his lips and gave the back of her hand a soft kiss. She smiled and covered her mouth with her free hand.

"Isn't that adorable?" Tifa sighed with a soft smile, putting a hand on Cloud's shoulder. He looked doubtfully at the young ninja, then glanced over when Cid made a rude noise.

"Kinda makes me feel sick, we're in the middle of a war and she's tryin' to get a date." He growled, turning and walking away into town. Cloud followed after him with a nod, and Tifa giggled.

"It's never the wrong time for love. Kind of makes me feel like there might be some hope, ya know, Vincent?" She asked, leaning around him to peer up into his face. He didn't answer, and she wandered after Cloud with a sly smile.

He couldn't stop watching her, sitting on the other side of the river bank, flirting with a boy she'd apparently gone to school with as a child.

What did that boy know of suffering? How was living this pampered life of a Wutain noble teaching him anything about real life? You can't learn about war sitting at home and hiding from it, how would he ever be able to appreciate Yuffie with no knowledge of what she's been through?

He fought back the urge to aim the Death Penalty at that boy's head.


	17. Too Much

**Disclaimer: **I don't own FFVII.

_**Seventeen**_

_-Too Much-_

"He wants me to marry him and settle down here."

Her face was contorted in a painful looking expression somewhere between a pout and confusion. Her hands rested on her hips in agitation, and her foot tapped slightly as she stared at him.

"Well what does Godo think?" His response was filled with more contempt than he'd meant, and he didn't bother looking up to meet her angry gaze.

"Of course he thinks I should do it, he wants to retire and make me queen of this tourist trap!" She spat. He couldn't tell if she was angry and frustrated with him or her situation, but he didn't respond.

Yuffie stood over him for a few more minutes before heaving an irritated sigh and throwing herself down on the grass beside him.

"Well? What do you think I should do?" Her voice was a bit softer, and he could sense her emotional exhaustion.

"It does not matter what I think, do what you believe is best." He said a bit cold-heartedly. He wasn't sure he could stand her presence much longer without losing control of his anger, so he stood up and started to walk away.

"Of course it matters what you think! I value the opinions of my friends!" Yuffie barked furiously as she scrambled to her feet again.

"I do not know what it is you want me to tell you, Yuffie. He is a good man, if you wish to leave Avalanche to start a new life that is your choice, it makes no difference to me." He could hear the venom dripping from his own words, but didn't care if she noticed anymore.

"What do you mean it makes no difference to you? You really won't care if I don't come back?" She stopped in her tracks and Vincent couldn't help but pause to look back at her.

Her eyes were glistening with tears, and once again he fought down the pity welling in his heart. She really was too young to have the fate of the world resting on her, perhaps it really was best if she left Avalanche and tried to live a normal life and be happy. If they couldn't stop Meteor, at least she would have that few months of happy peace.

He couldn't find the right words to get his point across, so he turned and continued walking. He closed his eyes sadly as he heard her fall to her knees in the grass with broken sobs.


	18. Coming Together

**Disclaimer: **I don't own FFVII.

_**Eighteen**_

_-Coming Together-_

Yuffie sat motionless beneath a gnarled old tree, eyes staring at the muddy grass blankly. She hugged her knees to her chest and, despite the low temperature and pounding rain, refused to shiver. The rest of Avalanche lingered a fair distance away, huddled more or less together under the cover of the forest.

"She just said no, she didn't give him a reason…" Tifa murmured softly, her voice low and miserable for the young girl. Cloud watched the ninja with mild concern, and glanced around the group for a moment. No one else really seemed to notice the girl's suffering, and he frowned slightly at their indifference.

"Maybe she finally grew up an' realized there's more important things goin' on!" Cid spat before shoving his cigarette back in his lips.

Vincent glanced over at her huddled form, his face hiding behind the collar of his cloak once again. He couldn't stand the sight for long, and his eyes slid away to stare out across the rain soaked landscape instead.


	19. Lessons Learned

**Disclaimer: **I don't own FFVII.

_**Nineteen**_

_-Lessons Learned-_

Vincent watched with wide eyes as he was shoved aside, used more or less as a stepping stone as Yuffie leapt off his shoulder and threw herself into the monster's face. It roared at her in a mixture of fury and surprise as she jammed the Conformer into its neck before flipping back out of the way and flinging a handful or shuriken at it.

It fell to one enormous knee and shook its mane in dismay, staggering slightly before jumping back in a failed attempt to dodge her next attack. The battle was over quickly, and Yuffie turned to look at her companions as she wiped the blood from her favorite weapon with her bare hand. Her eyes were filled with such fire that a shudder ran through Vincent's body and he had to fight the urge to take a step away from her.

"We're wasting time." She said darkly before heading off down the trail away from them, leaving Cloud and Vincent to exchange alarmed looks at the sudden change in their teammate.


	20. Holding Grudges

**Disclaimer: **I don't own FFVII.

_**Twenty**_

_-Holding Grudges-_

Yuffie frowned down at her reflection, her pale face swimming and shimmering on the surface of the water. It was so ironically perfect, the very image she held of herself in every mirror since her last visit to Wutai, now made painfully obvious. She threw a rock into the calm waters and watched her image split and ripple, but it stayed there staring back at her.

Of course it would, she just wanted to see what it was she was doing to herself.

She stared down at it a moment longer with unblinking eyes. Who was she turning into? This wasn't the Yuffie she had believed herself to be. This girl was cold and distant and confused. The girl she was looking at was the shattered remains of what she had always thought she was, a skinny girl with an overactive imagination and too much energy. What had happened to change her so much? It couldn't really have been Meteor, she had nothing to fear losing from it. Everything she cared about was already gone.

A dark shadow loomed behind her image, sparkling particles of red swirling into place before settling into a broken reflection just as twisted and miserable as her own.

"What?" The words fell from her lips much heavier than she'd intended, but he didn't flinch at her harsh tone of voice.

"You should go home, Yuffie." Vincent said quietly. He regarded her reflection with only somewhat curious red eyes, and couldn't help but notice that she refused to turn around and face him.

"Why? Don't I deserve a chance at saving the world, too?" She bit back, not in the mood for any more of his overprotective yet indifferent attitude.

"Yuffie…" He sighed gently and she felt some satisfaction. "You are too young, it should not have to be your responsibility."

He was being honest, even Yuffie couldn't ignore the concern in his voice. He was worried about her in the quickly approaching battle for the planet, and she couldn't help but smile to herself.

"No, maybe it shouldn't be, but it is. I'm going to help." She stated, staring into the deep crimson eyes floating gently in the clean water.

Vincent couldn't think of anything else to say to her, so he nodded silently and started to back away. he paused several feet away and turned back to look down at her, suddenly feeling the age he naturally should be.

"But Yuffie, if we fail… Please do not feel that it was your fault."

She turned around and smiled up at him with a sickly sweet grin. "Way to be optimistic, Vincent!" She laughed, and Vincent relaxed slightly despite the sickening drop in his stomach.


	21. Aftermath

**Disclaimer: **I don't own FFVII.

_**Twenty One**_

_-Aftermath-_

"It's over…"

Yuffie's soft voice echoed harshly in his ears, and he glanced up from resting his head in his hands. She was staring at the ceiling with a distant smile. He watched her cautiously for a moment before her gaze shifted over to him and a look of joyful relief washed over her face.

"Can you believe it? It's actually over…" Her voice was soft and musical, and he found himself wanting nothing more than to laugh and smile and pull her close to him and just be happy she was _alive_.

But that gut-wrenching laughter started up in his head, and he turned away from her in shame at the sudden reminder of why he could never be happy. He allowed himself only to nod in response to her before resting his head in his hands once again and trying to forget the memories threatening to boil over in his skull.

And then she was pressed up against his back, her strong, thin arms wound around his chest and she rested her chin on his shoulder. He felt a shiver of fear and apprehension run down his spine, but no matter how hard he tried he couldn't bring himself to push her away.

It wasn't until he felt the blood soak through her bandages and seep into his clothing that he made any move to protest their position.


	22. Departures

**Disclaimer: **I don't own FFVII.

_**Twenty Two**_

_-Departures-_

Vincent paused to peer over his shoulder, not quite sure he had heard correctly. But sure enough, Yuffie was waiting by the gate on hand resting on the weathered wooden frame uncertainly and her small chest heaving gently. Even from that distance he could see the sadness in her eyes, and stopped the chocobo's gentle walk. He wasn't sure whether he should go back to her or not.

She raised a hand halfheartedly in goodbye, words she was nearly desperate to express barely held in her throat.

"See you around…" She mumbled with a miserable smile. Vincent nodded and quickly turned away from her.


	23. Miss You

**Disclaimer: **I don't own FFVII.

_**Twenty Three**_

_-Miss You-_

Her hand shook gently as she tried to slide the brush across the paper. The thin tendrils of ink stretched across the void of white, shivering slightly before spiraling out of control as Yuffie uttered a low curse. Her frustration mounted as she looked over her work, and she threw the brush down on the table with a furious growl. She slammed her fists on the table and the jar of water flipped onto its side, spilling across her ink wash and spreading splotches of ebony across the surface.

Tears stung her eyes and she touched the waterlogged paper, imagining Vincent's hair falling between her fingertips. She immediately ripped the paper from the table, crumpling it between her hands furiously before flinging it across the room and stomping out the door.


	24. Happiness

**Disclaimer: **I don't own FFVII.

_**Twenty Four**_

_-Happiness-_

Even past midnight the atmosphere around Nibelheim remained hot and muggy. Vincent found himself, once again, on what remained of the roof of the old Shin-ra mansion. It wasn't just that he was trying to escape the heat so much as reality. It gave him a good vantage point to look out across the valley at the small town nestled at the base of the mountains. He could lean back and stare up at the stars, and the cool breeze refreshed his skin. Somehow it was easier to clear his mind up there, and he could lose himself in the world. When he was there he could forget he had no where else to go.

But once again he also found himself startled by the sudden image of a girl flashing through his mind. He had tried so hard to forget her smiling face, but once again her musical voice laughed from the back of his mind, teasing him for worrying so much.

It didn't hurt anymore, the thoughts had rolled through his head so many times he felt numb. He wondered how she was doing on her own, whether she had gone back to Wutai or if she was traveling again. He wondered if he would seen her soon, if he ever saw her again at all, or if she thought about him as much as he thought of her.

He wasn't sure how he felt about her, and wasn't particularly interested in finding out. He was fond of her, he considered them to be friends, and he couldn't help but worry for her being so young and on her own. He liked to think about her, it helped him relax. He knew he shouldn't, and that there was much more to it than he was admitting to himself, but he couldn't help it.

For some reason, that awkward young ninja had the ability to make him smile.


	25. Lonely

**Disclaimer: **I don't own FFVII.

_**Twenty Five**_

_-Lonely-_

He frowned slightly, the collar of his cloak conveniently hiding his face from her as he contemplated the sudden crisis thrown before him. He wanted to ask why she was here, but he already knew the answer. It felt like his stomach had fallen out and there was a gaping wound in its place.

She looked like she was having a hard time keeping her temper in front of him, and he noticed her hands balled into fists at her sides. She'd been hoping for a different reaction at having shown up at his doorstep unexpected and in the middle of the night.

"Nice to see you?" She growled menacingly, clenching her teeth and glaring up at him sharply. "I stole a chocobo and ran all day and night to get here and that's all you can say? I haven't eaten since Wutai and I can't remember the last time I actually got any sleep." He wanted to smile, but he couldn't forget the importance of the situation.

She lowered her head and he felt that wave of dread wash over him as her shoulders began to shake.

"I haven't seen you in four months!" Her voice broke and she glared up at him with tears in her eyes.

A part of him barely held back the reaction to roll his eyes. She really was just a child…

But he didn't push her away when she crawled into his lap while he sat on the miserable old sofa. His back stiffened defensively, but if Yuffie noticed she ignored it. She leaned her head against his chest gently and closed her eyes, listening to his heart pound violently.


	26. Living Conditions

**Disclaimer: **I don't own FFVII.

**Note:** I'm getting really pissed at this, I have been trying all day long to post this damn chapter and it just won't work. I've gotten the wrong version up twice, had the document manager decide not to save changes but tell me it did, and had it ignore me when I tried to put up the new chapter four times. sigh Anyway, thanks very much, everyone who's reviewed! I really do appreciate them and I listen to suggestions.

_**Twenty Six**_

_-Living Conditions-_

"Why don't you fix this place up?"

Vincent looked up from his place across the table, staring at her for a moment before glancing around the room. The kitchen looked like a hurricane had hit it and no one had ever cleaned up. The paint was faded and stained from years of neglect, parts of the wall were even missing and left gaping holes through to the rotting wood beneath it. Parts of the ceiling had fallen down and lay scattered across the floor, which was also covered in dust and dirt and various other particles that really shouldn't be there.

The appliances had long ago stopped working, and as he watched a rat peeked out from a hole that had been chewed in the refrigerator door. Yuffie wrinkled her nose in disgust and he watched as she tried to ignore it and go back to poking halfheartedly at the previously canned meal. He had warmed it up over a fire and put it on a paper plate for her, since there was no running water to wash dishes with.

"What would be the point?" He asked seriously.


	27. Unwelcome

**Disclaimer: **I don't own FFVII.

_**Twenty Seven**_

_-Unwelcome-_

"You should really get out of here for once. Why don't you go to Midgar and help Cloud and Tifa?" Yuffie smiled up at him as he tried to ignore her.

He was resting on the other side of the room, busying himself once again with his gun collection and watching her clean with mild interest. She would stop every few minutes and ask him something, and he would either answer briefly or ignore it all together. His patience with the young ninja was starting to wear thin.

He didn't answer her, of course, but got to his feet and walked out of the room. Her attention was smothering, and despite being unaccustomed to such affection he couldn't help finding it somewhat comforting. He liked having her around, but not as much as he wished she would just go home.


	28. Hiding

**Disclaimer: **I don't own FFVII.

_**Twenty Eight**_

_-Hiding-_

Yuffie refused to look up from her hands, her fingers clenched together in her lap and her toe tapping anxiously on the floor. He was reminded for a moment of a toddler caught doing something they knew was wrong and facing the consequences.

"He…" Her voice broke slightly, but she had a determined look on her face and sighed in irritation. "He said I wasn't ready." She said it in a soft voice, and Vincent found himself leaning closer to her. He leaned forward and rested his elbows on his knees, letting the collar of his cloak drop enough that if she would look over she might actually see his face.

She glanced up at him and he noticed a light blush color her cheeks. "He said I need more training… Before I can even think about it…"

Vincent nodded, though not really understanding. She had helped save the world, how much more training could she possibly need to prove herself to her father?

"He also said…" She made an odd choking noise and her blush darkened. "That if I want to take the throne I have to accept the husband he chose for me…"

She actually looked like she might vomit now, and Vincent let his hand wander over to her arm in an unintentional attempt at comfort.

"I'm sorry if I'm a burden to you… It's just that I didn't know who else I could stay with that wouldn't judge me." She looked up into his eyes now, and she was so much older he felt a jolt of shock.

She leaned closer to him, and even without the excited murmur of demon voices in his mind he knew what she was trying to do. He stood up so fast Yuffie nearly toppled over backwards.

She didn't say anything as he swept from the room, but as he turned to look back as her form disappeared behind the doorway, he saw her put her face in her hands.


	29. Bad Influence

**Disclaimer: **I don't own FFVII.

_**Twenty Nine**_

_-Bad Influence-_

He was so upset he couldn't even form the words he wanted to scream at her. He was standing solidly in the doorway, unable to do anything but stare and wish the pain in his heart would stop. If he'd known she would go this far he never would have left her alone to stew in her own depression.

"I'm fine, Vincent. It's not a big deal." She said flatly, her forehead resting in one hand and her back arched as she leaned over the table.

"Yuffie…" He wanted to cry. He was so furious he wanted to cry.

"I told you, it's not a big deal. I used to steal my dad's sake all the time. Come sit down." She was very good at keeping herself dignified, but it didn't make him feel any better about the situation.

She poured another glass and pushed it across the table for him.

"Yuffie, I cannot believe-"

"I said it's not a big fucking deal Vincent!" Her face turned red in anger and he was shocked that she would actually yell at him like that. He paused a moment longer, debating whether or not to say anything before leaving her to drink away her pain.

But for some reason, his feet moved the wrong way and he stared at her stormy grey eyes coldly as he took the seat across from her and picked up the glass. He drank it quickly, he knew he was going to need it to straighten things out with her tonight.

She began talking about her childhood at that point, and Vincent more or less paid attention while drinking rapidly from the glass. When it ran low she refilled it, and he nodded in understanding with whatever she was telling him. She paused after an hour or so of her life's story and stared across the table at him. He knew she hadn't had much to drink, and he was just past the point of feeling good himself with so many years of drinking experience.

Even so, he knew what was coming and still wasn't ready for it.

"Vincent." She said it in a low voice and he felt a shiver go down his spine.

"I love you."

He let his eyes wander away and took a long drink from the glass.

"You are too young to know what love is, Yuffie." It was a foolish things to say to an emotionally strained ninja and he knew it the moment the words fell from his lips. The table hit the opposite wall and he leaned back leisurely to stare up at Yuffie as she towered over him at his place on the floor.

"No, YOU don't know what love is Vincent! I bet you never did, even before Lucrecia ripped your heart out! You skulk around and bitch and moan about all your fucking sins and how butt-hurt you are with your depressing history, but you don't understand how different things are now! Yeah, bad shit happened, get over it! You think the rest of us don't have problems?! You think I laughed at my mother's funeral?! You think caring about you and getting nothing in return feels good?!" She threw her own glass against the wall and he watched it shatter as her voice shrieked in his ears. His face was emotionless, and he slowly turned to look back up at her as the tell-tale sounds of sniffling told him it was safe once again.

She was just starting to cry when he reached up and took her hand in his golden claw, pulling her down into his lap and winding his other hand into her hair.

He pulled her down to him and she didn't complain as he pressed a gentle kiss to her lips. He kissed her repeatedly; soft statements of affection and comfort. By the time he pulled back and gave her some space her face was bright red and she felt like she might burst into flame soon. But she understood what he was doing, and didn't press any further when he picked her up and carried her to her sleeping bag in the corner.

He stayed there with her pressed against his chest, her arms wound around him and gripped his shirt. He let her fall asleep against him in the dark, and let his cheek rest gently on her head despite his conscience.

When Yuffie finally woke the next morning Vincent was already gone.


	30. Stress

**Disclaimer: **I don't own FFVII.

_**Thirty**_

_-Stress-_

The wind blew his hair haphazardly around his face, blocking the dimly lit view of the canyon from his place high above it on the rocks. His body ached nearly as much as his heart, and he let a sigh fall heavily from his lips. His back stung painfully from the physical exertion and lack of sleep, and his arms were so sore he could hardly feel them anymore.

The air was hot and dry, and from his place he could see the orange glow of the sun retreating on the horizon. The light was almost gone, and the long shadows reached across the canyons like a veil. For the first time in many long weeks, Vincent finally felt like he might get some sleep tonight.

He didn't tear his eyes away from the view even as the soft sound of paws along the top of the cliff reached his ears. Moments later Nanaki sat quietly at his side, respecting the silence as his old friend cleared his mind. For a long time, the only sound was the distant howl of the wind through the canyon, and the occasional fluttering of Vincent's cloak.

"What do you think I should do?" His voice carried softly, but it was more than enough for Nanaki's sensitive ears. He turned to look over at the man and couldn't remember the last time he looked so detached from reality.

"I am hardly the one to go to for advice on human females, Vincent." He couldn't help but smile, even knowing that the humor of the statement would have been lost on Vincent even if he was in a good mood.

"Vincent, how do you feel about her?"

Vincent was quiet for a long time. He didn't want to think about it, he just didn't want to have to realize how he actually felt about Yuffie.

"I think she is confused, she is not mature enough to know what it is she wants. She seems to want to be close to me, though I can not imagine why…" He said gently.

"She really cares for you, Vincent. What if she is not just going through some stage? What if she is in love with you? You could really hurt her, just be careful." Nanaki replied, still staring out across the canyon as the light faded.

The two sat in silence once again and watched as the stars lit up the night sky.

"Vincent, you know there is a ladder, right?"

He glanced over at his grinning friend and down at his sore and bloody hands, and couldn't help the smile tug at the corner of his mouth.


	31. Need

**Disclaimer: **I don't own FFVII.

**Thirty One**

_-Need-_

Her body shook violently from more than the cold as another burst of wind shook the branches above her head. Rain beat down on her exposed skin, though her small frame was already too numb to feel it anymore. Tears streamed down her face, only to be washed away immediately as she looked up to the sky with another pained whimper. She opened her mouth and another stream of obscenities were lost to the roar of thunder overhead.

Inside the house, Tifa let the curtain fall back into place and turned to gaze across the room at her dearest friend. He was resting his head in his hands, and looked up when he sensed her watching him again. His eyes brushed over her as her shoulders began to shake, and he saw the tear trace down her cheek before she quickly wiped it away and shook her head.

"Go out there and get her, Cloud. She's going to freeze to death." She said quietly.

Cloud just stared for a few minutes, neither of them looking away from each other while they both contemplated what to do with the severely distraught ninja hiding in the backyard.

"I'm not going out there." He replied flatly.

Tifa wrapped an arm around herself and put her other hand up to her mouth in distress. She turned away to glance back out the window as Yuffie's broken wail pierced through the storm.

"She needs help, Cloud. I know it's storming out there but please, just pick her up and bring her inside." She managed with a shaky voice. Cloud stared at her coldly.

"No, I mean I don't trust that she won't stab a shuriken into my neck." He replied slowly. Tifa let out a choked laugh and put her face in her hands.

"What the hell happened between her and Vincent anyway?" He couldn't help but ask, the question was nagging at them both.

Tifa shook her head and ran across the room to the backdoor.


	32. Won't Admit

**Disclaimer: **I don't own FFVII.

**Thirty Two**

_-Won't Admit-_

She smiled and laughed, and he felt his heart lighten. The feeling surprised him so much that he brought a hand up to feel his chest and make sure it was still there. She turned and said something, and he watched as Tifa blushed and shot back a grumbled remark that Yuffie disregarded. She turned her back on her friend and continued through town with the bag of groceries and a smile.

For a moment he glanced around him, wondering what he was doing on this rooftop. He hadn't meant to hide from her, but the moment he found himself in Nibelheim he felt a deep terror at the very thought of seeing her after what he'd done. He knew he must feel ashamed of himself, but after so many long years his emotions were worn and tired. He didn't want any more pain, he didn't want to hate himself anymore.

Tifa glanced up just in time to see the flutter of a red cloak disappear over the edge of a roof across the street. She smiled grimly to herself, but kept her silence as she followed Yuffie back to the house. She wasn't sure if him being here was good or bad. Had he come to make sure Yuffie was safe? To talk to her and try to fix whatever relationship they may have had? She wasn't even sure she wanted him near Yuffie at this point, not after having to listen to the girl cry herself to sleep every night.


	33. Comfort

**Disclaimer: **I don't own FFVII.

**Thirty Three**

_-Comfort-_

Her footsteps echoed softly on the barren mountains around her as she walked. The moon was bright overhead and crickets sang in the distance. She had been walking a long time, and still wasn't even close to the plains outside of Rocket Town. The sound of pebbles tumbling down a hillside caught her attention, but she didn't stop. Her head lowered slightly and she listened, but made no move to glance back at who might be following her.

Another half hour of silence with nothing but the sound of rocks grinding beneath her worn out shoes and she felt a chill run up her spine. The night was young, and the temperature was still dropping as she climbed higher up the mountain pass. She knew she should have brought a coat, but had been in too much of a hurry leaving Tifa's house. Cloud had long since left again, and without him there Tifa only stayed in Nibelheim because of Yuffie. Hearing the news that she was heading back to Midgar had been frightening and yet relieving for the ninja. She'd hidden there for too long anyway, it was time to travel again.

Perhaps it would have been better to stay the night and get over the pass in the morning, but she had been nearly desperate to leave with the sudden feeling of abandonment creeping up on her again.

A cold breeze bit into her skin, and she shivered and wrapped her arms around herself. The sudden feeling of eyes on her made her pause, and she finally turned and glanced back down the path. The barren hillsides and cliffs around her were empty, and she started down the path again. She quickened her pace and felt slight fear sting in her chest as heavy clouds drifted over the moon, casting long dark shadows across the landscape. She stumbled slightly in the darkness, but hurried down the rocky trail as silence fell over the crickets nearby.

It was then that Yuffie finally heard the footsteps behind her, and she stopped and listened for several long moments as they got closer. They stopped a short distance behind her, and she let her backpack slide down from her shoulder to land heavily on the rocks. Inhaling deeply, she held her breath and slowly turned around.

In one instant, all the fear she felt melted away and before she could even think she felt her feet moving again and she was running. She hit his chest hard and wound her arms around him, and a broken sob escaped her as she dug her fingers into his shirt. She felt his arms wrap around her trembling shoulders and his warm breath on her neck as he leaned his face down to whisper apologies in her ear.

When Yuffie awoke the next morning, Vincent was still holding her to his chest. She was curled up against him on the edge of the mountain path, and he had pulled his cloak over her to keep the biting chill off her skin.


	34. Why?

**Disclaimer: **I don't own FFVII…

**Note:** I'm so sorry it's taking so long to update! It seems like these would be so simple to write but they're not… I don't want random bits of crap, I want random bits of good fan fiction! It's a delicate process! Anyway, here's more, I really am planning all these little parts out you know…

**Thirty Four**

_-Why?-_

She stood solidly in the middle of the field, the sunlight glinting off her hair majestically even as she sent him her best death glare. He was in trouble, deep trouble. Not the kind of trouble where you turn around and ignore it, the kind of trouble where you wind up scarred for life. He knew that the moment he began following her through the mountain pass. And he was prepared.

"What do you mean 'wait'?" Yuffie asked impatiently. She didn't understand, and supposed she never would, but if Vincent had come this far it must be important enough that her opinion would matter to him.

He sighed deeply, glancing away from those stormy eyes for a moment as he tried to gather his thoughts. She was so good at making him feel out of place and exposed…

"Yuffie, please…" He glanced up at the sky as if expecting Leviathan to come appear and save him from the wrath of the young woman.

"I.. I don't know how to explain it to you. You must understand, I have very little experience with women…" Wrong start, he knew, he thought he felt his cheeks flush for a moment as her glare intensified.

He rolled his eyes in defeat and groaned internally, ignoring the chorusing voices of the demons inhabiting his body.

"I care for you deeply, I want to get to know you better, I just… I lived in a coffin for thirty years, you must understand…" He was losing her attention, he knew, as she started kicking at the tufts of grass nearby.

"There is something about you that draws me to you, I don't understand it, and I cannot say I really care to understand, but I need more time to consider it, and I want to know that you will wait for me…" He spilled it all out at once and stood rather awkwardly as her eyes drew up from the grass and drifted over to him.

"Alright." She said simply, and walked away.

Vincent stared after her for a long time, his crimson eyes wide in confusion and disbelief. She was walking away? Was that normal female behavior?

She was upset, he knew that. He just wished she might have said more, yelled at him at least. That was something he could handle. Simply walking away was not something he was accustomed to dealing with. Especially not with women.

"Yuffie..?"

He didn't understand, and knew she must not quite understand either. He moved quickly to catch her before she vanished into the fields of Rocket Town.


	35. Time

**Disclaimer:** I don't own FFVII!

**Thirty Five**

_-Time-_

Yuffie Kisaragi was determined. Her face was set as she stared up the hill coldly, her heavy boots scrambling on the rocks and loose pebbles. Adrenaline pumped through her as the crest of the hills neared, and she knew what beautiful sight would stretch out before her on the other side. Her fingers dug into a loose patch of dirt and she stumbled, her features hardening as she struggled to regain her footing and force her exhausted body up the slope. It seemed like minutes stretched into hours, and she felt slight confusion and shame at forgetting the immense size of the hill blocking the way between her and the destination that had become so profoundly important over the past week. This journey should have gone faster, she should have remembered a better way, she didn't have _time_ for this.

Wutai, nestled in beneath Da Chao, as beautiful and misleading as ever. A heavy sigh of relief escaped her at the sight, and she felt that determination ready to overcome her very being. Never before could she remember feeling such motivation.

_Time. _

That's what he wanted. She didn't understand why, but she didn't ask questions either. Any chance was better than total rejection. A few months ago she would have scoffed at the idea of going out of her way to pursue a man, but in her eyes, Vincent was no ordinary man. Not by any means.

She loved him. Honest to Leviathan, she knew for a fact she was in love with him. She didn't know why, and she didn't care. She didn't think about it, it didn't matter. What mattered was that he had come back for her, and there was a chance that they would both be alright. There was a lot of emotional healing needed, on both sides, and that wasn't something she had ever expected from him.

"_It would be wrong to say that I have not considered the possibilities. I will be honest, affection is not something I am familiar with. This is not a situation I have ever had to deal with before, Yuffie, so please give me some leniency. This is not rejection, I did not come here to harm you in any way, that is not my intention. I am here simply to ask for your forgiveness, and time. I care for you, Yuffie, but you are still just a child. Go back to Wutai and finish your training. I will still be waiting for you." _

She knew every word of that damn statement, she ran it through her head over and over again. Of course it was encoded, it was laced with so many other meanings. Not only because it was Vincent, but also because he was a man, and luckily for Yuffie, she knew how to understand it. What he really said could roughly be translated to something along the lines of; _"I have no people skills whatsoever, but I am falling for you hard and your wild, adolescent tendencies scare the shit out of me. Give me some time to collect my thoughts, and when I realize what an idiot I've been I'll run all night to get here." _Yuffie grinned once again at her own translation of what he had actually said, or what she hoped he had actually said.

Either way, if it was time he wanted, it was time he was going to get. She could wait, oh yes she could. She wasn't about to fight for him, she wasn't that kind of girl. There was something between them, and if it was worth pursuing he would take the time to find her. Vincent was not someone that could be pushed. If he didn't want to do something, he simply wasn't going to do it. The fact that he had come after her in the Nibel mountains meant worlds to them both, it was completely unexpected.


	36. No Choice

**Disclaimer:** I don't own FFVII.

**Thirty Six**

-No Choice-

Yuffie's gloved fist hit the debris one last time before it crumbled over and the sound of grinding, rusted metal filled her ears. She stared at the chunk of wall until the dust settled, before inhaling sharply and clenching her fists again. It wasn't enough, demolishing already ruined buildings and piles of rubble did little to calm the fury boiling inside her. She wanted to scream, she wanted to show that pigheaded, self-righteous father of hers exactly how far she'd come and what she could do. She'd beaten him once before, on the top floor of the pagoda. But it still just wasn't enough. As long as he could leech materia from her for his own selfish gain, there was nothing she could do to be good enough in his eyes. As far as she could tell, he might as well not even have a daughter. She gritted her teeth. Good luck finding another heir.

She sighed before turning and walking away down the winding path through the ruins. Several people watched her with wide eyes, but already knew better than to try and talk to her. She watched the warily from the corner of her eyes, bent over their campfires and digging through rubble. Scavengers, all of them. That was all that was left of the people living in Midgar's slums. These were the dregs of society that had no where else to go. Just like her. It was the first time in over a year that she really felt like she belonged.

It was a hard life, for everyone but her. When she was hungry she found a monster to kill and cooked it over a campfire. When she was tired she found a quiet, secluded place in the ruins to sleep. It was a good place to go to hide from the world, she didn't have to worry about anything but what was going on right now. There was no tomorrow, and there was no yesterday. The only trial she faced now was keeping her mind off Vincent.

She sighed again when her thoughts finally betrayed her. She could see the disapproving look on his face, glaring down at her. She knew what he would say; _"Yuffie, what are you doing here? You should have stayed in Wutai with your father. This is a disgusting life, I thought you were above such childish things"._

He wouldn't understand. She knew he wouldn't. He seemed to think her life was so simple, like Wutai really needed her or something. It was like he thought her father really cared about her…

It was too late now. She couldn't even fulfill his one request. She'd fled Wutai, yet again, and here she was hiding from everything in the most depressing place on the planet.

She kept trying to tell herself she didn't need him. She could take care of herself, she didn't need anyone to babysit her ever again. Especially not some man that didn't think she was good enough for him. She wasn't going to change for him.


	37. Shame

**Disclaimer:** I don't own FFVII.

**Thirty Seven**

-Shame-

He couldn't help but frown slightly when he looked down at her. It certainly wasn't what he'd expected from her, but he knew better now than to assume she was predictable. Her clothes were a bit tattered, obviously well-worn from living in the slums for the past month. She was wearing new gloves, and he knew she must have stolen them from someone since they were a bit too big. Her old boots looked like they were ready to fall to pieces, and she was wearing an oversized jacket he'd never seen before. She had her knees up to her chest and her arms were wrapped around them protectively. She was ignoring his harsh stare as best she could, but she was getting anxious.

After several long, tense minutes, Yuffie got to her feet and brushed the dust off herself. Then she looked up to return his sharp stare, and the bright, wild look in her eyes nearly made him gasp in shock. How could so much innocence have left her in just a month?

His eyes traced down her face. Her cheekbones stuck out more, she'd obviously been skipping meals for a while now. Her hair was slightly longer, but still not quite noticeable to anyone but him. It was dirty and grungy, and fell limply around her headband to frame her face. His eyes fell lower and he could see her lean stomach muscles under the thin shirt she wore. Her jacket was open and reached down to her hips. She was still wearing her shorts, they were stained and ripped and he almost felt embarrassed to be standing so close to her. She would switch to long pants soon enough, the cold weather was starting to set in and even her newfound indifference couldn't keep her from finding new clothing. Her legs were thinner than he remembered, and her muscles were much more defined. As her lips parted, his eyes shot back up to her face.

"I'm done with your expectations, Vincent." She said simply.

He watched her walk away in surprise. He couldn't think of what to say to her now. Was all of this his fault? He found it hard to believe he could have single-handedly caused so much turmoil in her life. Most of all he wasn't sure if he should feel flattered or ashamed of himself… Either way, Yuffie had taken her life into her own hands. It was more than he had dared to hope for. Perhaps now she would see how little she needed anyone else, especially him. He didn't want her to have to carry his misery, but it seemed now that he had drastically underestimated her.

That was the last time he followed her. He couldn't stomach checking up on her anymore, he didn't want to see everything happening to her life. She was determined to do things the hard way, and he had to let her do it alone.


	38. Waiting

**Disclaimer:** I don't own FFVII.

**Thirty Eight**

-Waiting-

Yuffie stared at the TV screen in the shop window. Another pointless update on the mysterious illness sweeping across the planet. Geostigma. There was no cure, she wasn't sure why they had to keep reminding everyone that they were all going to die.

She'd been careful to keep an eye on things lately, they'd been escalating and she had a sneaking suspicion Avalanche was going to get in on it sooner or later. She didn't particularly want to go, but she missed her old friends, she missed feeling _wanted_. But _he_ would be there, she knew he would be. She'd been hearing about him lately. Mostly from drunk travelers, but she knew it was him they were talking about. He was hiding out up north, occasionally playing hero. She hadn't seen him in nearly three months, and she was surprised he hadn't come back to watch over her some more. But she knew she'd disappointed him. She didn't care anymore.

Still, whether he was there or not, she wanted to help her friends. Which was why she now stood in the streets of Rocket town. After several days of camping in the woods nearby, she finally felt ready to see Cid. She knew he was going to harass her about disappearing like she had, four and a half months of everyone worrying and searching for her and she just turned up on his doorstep. She was going to get a hell of an earful before Shera stepped in.

That was one thing she wanted to thank Vincent for, he hadn't told anyone where she was.


	39. Respect

**Disclaimer:** I don't own FFVII.

**Thirty Nine**

-Respect-

As disturbing as it seemed, Vincent had liked her more as a teenager. This young woman standing before him now, glaring up at him with such fierce passion in her eyes, it was like something from a nightmare. He felt weak in her presence, it was exhilarating and terrifying all at once. He'd known it was a mistake to reach out to her, he'd tried to stop before his fingers brushed her arm as she passed, but he'd been too late. He'd forced her to acknowledge his presence, and it had been almost completely involuntary. He didn't know why his hand had darted out like that to touch her, he didn't know what was wrong with him now as he stood staring at her, feeling as if he might pass out at any moment. She'd turned on him, her soft face immediately hardening in fury. How dare he touch her? How dare he even come so close as to make her look at him?

He opened his mouth to try and apologize, but his throat was dry and no sound escaped. Then he was staring at the wall in shock, and his cheek stung painfully.

"Am I good enough for you now, Vincent?" She spat angrily. He turned slowly to look back down at her, his eyes suddenly narrowing. Her hand drew back again, but he was still faster than her and she cringed as his metal claw caught her wrist painfully.

"Do not assume I have any sort of pride left in my being, Yuffie." His voice came out in a low hiss, but she was unaffected.

"You abandoned me." She accused quietly, the fury in her eyes not subsiding in the least.

"What did you want me to do? Defile the teenage heir of Wutai? I was hoping you could experience life before deciding to dedicate yourself to any kind of relationship." He leaned his face down to her ear, and his voice was so low she barely heard him. His breath on her neck sent a tremor down her spine, and he was close enough now he felt the shudder pass through her body.

He released her hand as if she'd burned him and stepped back, feeling his face heat up slightly. Yuffie took a step forward and he felt his back hit the wall. She kept her glare locked on his eyes, taking satisfaction from the obvious discomfort he was now in. She moved forward until their noses would have touched if he wasn't considerably taller than her. He caught the flicker of longing in her eyes, and the corner of his mouth twisted up slightly when he realized exactly what she must be thinking. Of course he wouldn't do it, he was much too dark and withdrawn for such behavior. And as the demons in his head howled with laughter, he brought his hand up to touch the side of her face. Her expression went blank immediately, and he took the moment to quickly lean down and press his lips to hers carefully.

For a moment they forgot they were still on the airship. Their friends were expecting them at the reunion party now that the Geostigma crisis was over. They should have left for the Inn already. Yuffie's head was swimming, she had no idea what was going on, and a million thoughts were repeating themselves over and over. Just what did he think he was doing? Was he teasing her? Was this a trick? Was he just going to leave again and let her disappear back into the slums of Midgar? Was he even sober?

Then he tilted her head back and she felt her fingers tighten in his cloak as the kiss became something much more than affectionate teasing. Her face flushed darkly and she felt like she might hyperventilate soon. His lips moved gently but forcefully, and his tongue brushed over hers. She felt her knees begin to weaken, and just as she thought she couldn't take anymore he pulled back and released his grip on her.

She swayed and braced a hand against the wall, staring up at him in shock. As if to add to the mental overload she was now experiencing, when she looked up into his face he was smiling. It wasn't exactly a happy smile, just a smug, 'don't you dare assume _anything_ about me' smile.

He walked several paces down the hall, then turned to see if she was following.


	40. Decision

**Disclaimer:** I don't own FFVII.

**Forty**

-Decision-

She watched him for a long time. He was sitting quietly on the edge of the bed, facing the window with a full shot glass held carefully in his hands. His eyes were closed and he had a peaceful look on his face, like he was meditating. She didn't feel like she should talk to him yet. Just from looking at him you never would have guessed he was sitting in a room full of excited, happy old friends throwing a rather loud party. Yuffie turned around from her seat on the chair to stare at the circle of people across the room.

They seemed oblivious to her and Vincent. Tifa was mixing up more drinks with a blender she'd set on the floor. Cloud was leaning casually against the wall, Barret was sitting heavily on the floor glancing between the group and the TV. Red was curled up on the bed, more or less ignoring everyone, and Reeve was sitting beside him calmly. Denzel and Marlene had long since gone to sleep in the next room, hence the transformation of this room into a bar. Cid was just wandering back in from the kitchen and glared over at Yuffie suspiciously for a moment. She just smiled.

"Yuffie."

She nearly jumped at her name, spinning back around to see Vincent looking at her with a gentle look in his eyes.

"Would you like to go for a walk?" He asked quietly. She nodded dumbly and scrambled to her feet as he began to make his way past the group to the door. She heard them asking her questions, but ignored it as she stared up at him anxiously. This was it, they were going out for a "_talk_"…

She followed him down the stairs and out the door, and hurried to keep up with his long strides. The streets were empty, she knew it must be nearly 2 in the morning. There were hardly any lights left on in town. After several blocks, he paused for a moment under the yellow glow of a streetlight. Yuffie stepped up beside him carefully, hugging her arms around herself. Then he turned to look down at her.

"I'm leaving tonight." He said simply. She had known it was coming, but couldn't help the gut-wrenching feeling that it brought.

"Why?" She asked, squeezing her eyes shut and gritting her teeth. She could feel his eyes on her and it was making her even more nervous.

"You know why." He said gently. She nodded slightly. It was the group, he didn't like being around so many people that knew him so well. He preferred to be alone, to wander the wilderness in peace.

"I would like for you to come with me." He stepped closer to her and nearly whispered it in her ear. Her eyes snapped open and she glanced up at him in surprise.


	41. Getting Started

**Disclaimer:** I don't own FFVII.

_Note: _Just thought I would mention once again, I love writing these drabbles. You get straight to the fun stuff without wading through pages and pages of filler!

**Forty One**

-Getting Started-

Yuffie knew what he was doing, and she wasn't going to fall for it. She stared up at him with determination and scrambled up the rocky hillside, ignoring the painful sting in her legs. He paused for a moment at the top of the hill to look back at her, hiding the slight grin tugging at his lips behind the collar of his cloak. He had to admit, she was doing better than he'd expected.

Throughout their journey from Kalm to Junon she hadn't complained at all. He wouldn't normally have hiked for an entire day without stopping, but he wanted to see how she would react. He knew she must be exhausted and hungry, not to mention in pain from the physical exertion. Still, she had hardly spoken at all since leaving their friends behind in Kalm. She hadn't even asked why he'd headed toward the moutains instead of simply following the coastline around them.

She paused beside him and quietly wiped the sweat from her forehead, then brushed past him to start down the hill toward the base of the mountains. He could hardly believe it, but she was honestly ready to climb the mountains after hiking since dawn.

Vincent took a moment to glance at the setting sun, then shook his head in amusement and followed her down the hill. He would let her climb up the mountain for a while longer, then he would stop and set up camp for the night. They still had a long way to go, and plenty of time to get there. There really wasn't any reason to rush, except that he enjoyed seeing her so determined to prove him wrong.


	42. Point of View I

**Disclaimer:** I don't own FFVII.

_Note: _Can you say writer's block?! Yea I heard it was going around…

**Forty Two**

-Point of View; Yuffie-

He watched her carefully from his seat beside the fire. His cloak was pulled up tight against the cold mountain air, and his eyes were shielded from her sight behind his hair. She knew he was watching her anyway, she could feel all his attention on her even from her place fifty feet away. She didn't care. Her back arched gracefully as she brought her Conformer down on the branch. A sharp crack echoed down the mountainside yet again, and Vincent sighed lightly.

"Yuffie, we have enough firewood." He said softly. He wanted to smile, but she wasn't in any mood for him to be picking away at her tonight.

She turned slowly to glare back at him and he was sure she was trying her hardest to stab him in the chest with mental daggers. She ignored his comment and turned back to the tree she had nearly finished destroying. Of course she wasn't collecting firewood, he knew that. She was frustrated. He'd been waiting for her to start to break down for days now.

Living like this was hard work. It was so much different than the time she spent in Midgar. At least in Midgar she could forget about him. When she was on her own she could pretend she didn't have all these emotions boiling in her. She didn't know what she'd really been expecting, but she hadn't been expecting him to continue treating her like a child. He was so careful with her, always killing the monsters before she got a chance to fight, always walking behind to keep an eye on where she was. She had come so far and done so much to gain his approval, and he still wouldn't let her grow up.

With another swing of her arm and a resounding thud, the Conformer stuck into the trunk of the tree. Yuffie fell to her knees and sweat dripped down her forehead despite the chill in the air. She was exhausted, her arm shook gently as she gave one last attempt at pulling her favorite weapon out of the tree.

She sat on her knees with one hand gripping the Conformer until Vincent finally came to pull it out for her and lead her back to the campfire.


	43. Point of View II

**Disclaimer: **I don't own FFVII.

**Forty Three**

-Point of View; Vincent-

She was upset, that was obvious. What he still didn't know was what she was upset about. He'd been watching her for hours as she attacked the tree, all the smaller branches were gone and she'd been working on the larger ones for quite a while. He knew she was breaking down, her mask was beginning to crack. It had caught him by surprise at first, but the more he watched her and thought about it, the more it made sense. She was his complete opposite. She was gentle and sensitive, regardless of the show she put on to seem tough and hardened. When he was faced with pressure, he drew into himself and ignored his emotions. When Yuffie was faced with pressure she cracked and exploded. Everyone knew when Yuffie was angry, she made sure they knew.

He liked that, but she was still too attached to him. He didn't think she even knew how her world seemed to revolve around him. It wouldn't even matter so much except that her emotions were beginning to cloud her judgment. Being so close to him was distracting her from her surroundings, especially when they'd been walking for long periods of time. On more than one occasions he'd had to bring down a monster that she hadn't even seen stalking her. He'd taken to walking behind her simply because her lack of attention scared him at times. He knew she didn't like it, and he also knew she was unaware that she was becoming a danger to herself.

Something had to be done. He had to find a way to leave her alone, and get her attention off of him at the same time. He'd been very careful to keep her distant. He was sure she assumed he was pushing her away, when really he was keeping her at arm's length until she was ready. She was so confident, it almost made him laugh. He knew what he was doing, he knew where he wanted their "relationship" to go. Yuffie was the one hesitating, especially now. After all this time, she was finally starting to consider what she was honestly getting herself into and what she would be giving up for it. All she needed now was something to get her mind off of him so she could think from a clearer point of view.


	44. Opportunity

**Disclaimer: **I don't own FFVII.

**Forty Four**

-Opportunity-

It was perfect. The absolute, perfect opportunity. This was the final test he had for her, if she passed this one he would know for sure if she could handle being with him. He glanced back at her for a moment, but her eyes were fixated on the scene at the bottom of the valley. They'd been hiking through the jungle for weeks, a thin layer of sweat glistened on her skin and her chest moved gently as she caught her breath. Then she started down the slope to the village.

Vincent fell behind and watched her carefully as her backpack hit the dirt at the edge of the village. She grabbed the nearest person she saw and he could here her worriedly asking what happened. Then he took the time to look around what was left of the village.

It was a fairly simple village, he guessed it was made up of several tight-knit families living together and moving from place to place every so often. There was very little in the way of technology that he could see, mostly they had simple huts made from dried wood and recycled debris from the nearby reactor. Most of the huts were destroyed, and a line of fresh graves dotted the far side of the village. Loose chickens and dogs ran back and forth through the pathways between the buildings, and every face he saw was grim and hopeless. Judging from the straw and foliage lining the right half of the village, a flash flood had caught them off guard. His inspection ended when Yuffie appeared in front of him with a distraught look in her eyes.

"That storm we got caught in a couple days ago caused a flood through here, they barely had time to react. There's a lot of people missing…" Yuffie let her voice trail away as she stared up at Vincent. "They can't defend the village from monsters, look for their friends and family, and rebuilt… They need our help." She said softly.

Vincent looked down at her with an indifferent look in his eyes. "We shouldn't interfere, these people live here to avoid the outside world. They know the danger that comes with such a life."

Yuffie was sure she hadn't heard him right. Vincent always helped people, she was always hearing about someone he saved, ever since Meteor. To think he was really planning to walk away from these people was simply unbelievable.

"Excuse me?" Yuffie blurted out in surprise. Vincent looked away and started to walk past the village. He paused for a moment to look back at her.

"What happened here is unfortunate, but none of our concern. The worst is over, they will recover without outside assistance, Yuffie." He made a point of adding her name on the end, and she caught it. He meant it as a command. He was _commanding_ her to stay out of it. He walked several paces away before pausing to look back again.

"Are you coming?" He asked stiffly. Yuffie stood her ground.

"Are you serious?" She shot back before putting her hands on her hips. "What does it matter what happened to them? The point remains that they could use, and would very much appreciate, our help." She stood there for a long time, returning his hard gaze furiously. Finally realizing he meant what he'd said, Yuffie let her arms drop and shook her head.

"I don't think I know you anymore. Just go if doing the right thing will be such a burden to you." She said it gently, but venom dripped from every word.

Vincent shrugged it off and disappeared into the tree line. By the time he managed to get the pleased grin off his face and turn to look, Yuffie had already disappeared back into the village.


	45. Establishing Priorities

**Disclaimer: **I don't own FFVII.

_Note: _This one might have some mistakes, I don't have time to proofread it right now so I apologize ahead of time…

**Forty Five**

-Establishing Priorities-

Yuffie cringed slightly as the earsplitting shatter rang out through the house. She glanced around slowly to see Denzel and Marlene peering into the kitchen suspiciously. Tifa put her fingertips to her mouth for a moment before crouching down to pick up the pieces of the plate she'd dropped.

"What do you mean you haven't seen him in a year and a half?" She asked in an urgent whisper as she dumped the broken pieces into the trash. She wiped her hands on a towel and leaned back against the countertop.

Yuffie sighed softly. She wouldn't have come for a visit if she'd known it would be like this. Of course she should have known, Tifa seemed to be the only person who understood what was going on between her and Vincent. Every time they talked the topic eventually lead back to Vincent and what was going on. Yuffie had been getting pretty good at changing the subject, but after Tifa's third or fourth try she gave up.

"What happened?" She wanted to clamp her hands over her mouth, but dug her fingers into the countertop instead.

Yuffie shrugged lightly, she'd been trying to think of what to say to that for the past hour…

"I don't know… I thought things were going pretty good, then one day he just kind of turned his back on me. He didn't want to get involved with anything. We found a village in Gongaga that really needed some help, and he just walked away. All he seems to care about is himself…" Yuffie said flatly, glaring down at the floor. When she finally looked up, she caught the look of shock on Tifa's face.

"Yuffie, don't you watch the news..?" Tifa asked slowly. Yuffie stared at her for a long time before finally shaking her head.

Tifa spun around and grabbed a newspaper off the table, shuffled through it, then shoved it into Yuffie's face. It was an article on an attack on Kalm by an unknown group, and in the right side of the picture Vincent could be seen in the background standing between a group of civilians and armed men in uniforms. Yuffie's eyes widened in shock and the paper slipped from her hands to flutter to the floor.

"I heard about the attack, but I had no idea…" Shock quickly turned to anger and Yuffie looked up at Tifa with confused eyes. "What was he doing there?"

"Well, that paper is kind of old… But Vincent helped stop the attack with Reeve. He saved a lot of people, and last I heard he'd agreed to help Reeve figure out what's going on. He was actually here not too long ago, on the other side of the city I mean. I think they're heading south right now, Reeve left me his number in case anyone wanted to join in. I would go but I have to take care of Denzel and Marlene right now…" Tifa lowered her voice and glanced toward the living room. Yuffie was still staring at her with wide eyes.

"If he just jumped in to save those people, why did he leave me all alone in the jungle?" Yuffie asked slowly.

"I don't know, it almost seems like he was testing you. Maybe he wants to make sure you can take care of yourself? I mean, he tried to protect Lucrecia and look what happened…" Tifa said softly.

"I can take care of myself!" Yuffie growled angrily. "Why can't he just accept the possibility that maybe I'm not some pathetic little girl?!"

"I don't understand why he always seems to think you need protected." Tifa sighed and rolled her eyes.

"Give me Reeve's phone number." Yuffie said gently. Tifa eyed her suspiciously and grinned.


	46. Surprise

**Disclaimer: **I don't own FFVII.

**Forty Six**

-Surprise-

"The WRO has been working for a while to try and figure out what they're after. So far we barely even know who they are. We know they were originally created by Shin-ra as a secret army, but we assumed they had been destroyed along with the rest of Shin-ra during Meteor."

Yuffie scanned over the papers in her hand again before looking up at him. He stared straight ahead as his boots clicked faintly on the floor. He was so serious and business-like, it made Yuffie feel out of place. He noticed her staring at him and looked over to flash her a smile.

"I'm so glad you want to join the WRO, Yuffie. We can really use your help." She could see the honesty in his eyes and beamed proudly at him.

"So what's my first mission?" She asked anxiously. Reeve laughed gently.

"I want you to tell me what's going on. I know you have a way of getting into things." He winked at her and she grinned sheepishly. "Just be careful and don't get caught. I don't want to have to come to your rescue."

"Yea whatever. I'll probably wind up having to rescue you!" Yuffie stuck her tongue out and started to walk away down the hall. She glanced down at the papers in her hands and caught a glimpse of a woman with red hair. She was just reading the woman's name when she heard Reeve call her name.

"Yuffie, don't you want to know where Vincent is?" He asked with slight amusement in his voice.

Yuffie was surprised for a moment, then smiled when she realized she hadn't really been thinking about him.

"I'm sure I'll run into him eventually." She grinned and turned back down the hall.


	47. Reunited

**Disclaimer: **I don't own FFVII.

_Note: _This is a scene right out of Dirge of Cerberus, I wanted to ignore it but it seemed kind of important to show them meeting up again...

**Forty Seven**

-Reunited-

Yuffie groaned in pain as she rubbed the back of her head. It was far from graceful, but she was just so happy to see him she got carried away. She was absolutely bubbling with adrenaline and excitement. She never would have guessed when she woke up that morning that she'd be dragging Vincent's unconscious body from the Shin-ra mansion before the day was over. It was the first time she'd seen him in a year and a half and she had just saved his life. She couldn't even remember the last time she had felt so enthusiastically proud of herself.

However, at the moment all she felt was pain and disappointment.

"So, where are we?"

Yuffie pouted over at him from her seat on the control panel. He was watching her calmly, laying stretched out on the bench. He didn't exactly look happy to see her, but he didn't look upset either.

"Come on! Aren't you at least a little concerned?" Yuffie complained. He hardly moved, but she thought she saw the faint hint of a smile at the corner of his mouth.

"Oh, Yuffie. It's been a while. How's your head?" He was teasing her, she couldn't believe it. He had really loosened up since the last time she saw him. But still, she'd hurt herself and he wasn't offering any comfort whatsoever. What a warm welcome.

"You-! Could you at least pretend to be sympathetic?" She asked angrily. Of course he decided at that moment to remind her he was recovering from a life-threatening wound by trying to sit up. She leapt from her place on the control panel to stop him.

"Oh! Uh, hey, take it easy! That was a big hole you had in your chest." She put her hands on her hips and tried to hide how worried she was.

"A hole in my chest..?" He looked down and Yuffie wanted to role her eyes. She could have easily stuck her arm through it…

"Hm, I seriously thought you were a goner, but then the wound healed itself right up. You were always different, but, I guess that's why you're still breathing!" She spun around and smiled down at him, but something seemed to be bothering him. When she blinked the look of concern was gone, but her enthusiasm started to die away.

"Yuffie, what are you doing here?" He looked up at her and she smiled to herself.

"Me? I'm just helping out Reeve and his gang. I was poking around Nibelheim and found you looking all corpse-like in Shin-ra manor, so I saved you!" She paused to rub her face and smile. "Imagine that, me saving the great Vincent Valentine! Do I get any thanks?" Her enthusiasm bubbled up again and she grinned. She laughed playfully and Vincent was quiet for a few moments as he thought about it.

"Thanks, Yuffie." He said quietly. The smile fell from her face at his serious tone and she stepped back and waved her hands awkwardly.

"No, no, whoa! I didn't mean for you to take me so seriously…" She scratched the back of her head uncomfortably and glanced back down at him.

"Anyway… Reeve wanted us to call him as soon as you woke up." She changed the subject quickly and Vincent's gaze fell to the floor.


	48. Hurting

**Disclaimer: **I don't own FFVII.

**Forty Eight**

-Hurting-

Yuffie was leaning heavily on the wall of the airship, one arm around her stomach and the other on her knee. She was sure at any moment now she was going to throw up, then it would pass for a second or two before the nausea hit her again. She really had to find a cure for airsickness…

She exhaled slowly and looked up as the sound of footsteps reached her ears. Of course, after so long, he would have to see her at all of her worst moments. She forced a smile and waved weakly at him.

"Ugh… Hey Vincent…" She mumbled. He nodded briefly at her.

He had been about to walk past her down the hall, but for some reason when their eyes met, his feet refused to move. Yuffie stared up at him curiously, waiting to see if he had something to say. Staring down into her eyes gave him an almost sickening feeling in the pit of his stomach. She was making him uncomfortable with nothing more than her presence. His eyes scanned over her face, down her slouched form, taking note of her rather severe airsickness. Even this characteristic made him feel uneasy. He couldn't place what it was, she was no different from the last time he'd seen her. She was still childish and clumsy, and much more cheerful and optimistic than when she had tried following him around. She was definitely growing up, her face was more defined and womanly. Her thin body was developing some actual curve. His eyes darted back up to her face, and he realized she was staring at him with a worried expression on her face.

He broke the gaze and hurried down the hall, ignoring the fact that she was staring after him in disappointment. He had too much to worry about right now, he didn't have time to wonder why thinking about Yuffie hurt so much.


	49. Darkness

**Disclaimer: **I don't own FFVII.

**Note:** I couldn't just not include this scene...

**Forty Nine**

-Darkness-

Yuffie's body tensed as she drew her weapon, ready to attack. The man now standing before them radiated terror. The very sight of him made her uneasy, and she suddenly wondered what she had gotten herself into. He moved slightly and a shudder went down her spine. She glanced over at Vincent, but if he felt that the man was any threat to them, he didn't show it.

Then the darkness came at her like a wave. She cried out as it wrapped around her body. The room around her seemed to dissolve and she was falling. All she could see was darkness, all around her, every inch of her vision was obscured by it. The further she fell, the more the terror built up in her chest. She heard herself scream, curling in on herself defensively. She had no idea what to do, this was unlike anything she had ever experienced before. This was pure darkness, there was nothing here but isolation and despair. She pressed her hands over her ears and screamed again, feeling the panic rising up to the surface. She closed her eyes as screamed even louder.

The darkness closed in around her, tightening its grip on her as the panic reached the surface. She drew her knees up to her chest as her heart pounded violently in her ears. It constricted tighter around her as just as she thought she was about to break down, light erupted behind her and the darkness fell off of her. She felt arms around her, pulling her close and lifting her up. The panic melted away and she felt relief flood her body as she looked up to see Vincent cradling her to his chest. They burst from the darkness and landed safely on the metal floor. He set her down gently and stepped back as she slouched weakly against the wall.

"You alright?" He asked, checking to make sure she wasn't hurt.

"What the heck was that..?" She asked shakily. He couldn't help but feel relieved, he'd been worried this would happen when she followed him here.

"Oblivion, perhaps. My darkness, it can absorb as well as extract almost anything. However, some things remain." Yuffie watched with wide eyes as Nero stepped forward and raised his hand. A ball of darkness swirled over his palm, tendrils reaching out and moving gently.

"Things as black as the heart of a daemon." He dropped his hand to his side and the ball vanished. The darkness swirled around him, almost lovingly. It seemed to caress his body and move of its own free will.

"Ah, the essence of death. Its undulations are like a lullaby."

"How can you…" Yuffie felt her stomach churn as she stared over at him. He was terrifying, and absolutely insane. He was talking like the darkness was a dear friend, she couldn't understand how anyone could find comfort in such a horrible existence.

As he stared down at her, Vincent couldn't help but feel protective. She was probably his only true friend. He had treated her like a burden, criticizing and leaving her to fend for herself. But she was still here. For some reason he didn't understand, she didn't hate him. She had followed him through this hell and stood by his side even as the apocalypse was approaching. And now this man was threatening her life. It was one thing if Vincent died here, it was entirely different if something happened to Yuffie. He cared more than he thought he did, and for some reason that didn't bother him anymore.

"Yuffie, stay here." He said forcefully as he turned to face Nero.

"Ah yes, you were invulnerable to the darkness." Nero seemed to draw amusement from the fact that his main weapon had no effect on Vincent.

Yuffie watched in horror as Vincent stepped closer and the darkness swirled out in a large sphere, enveloping them both. She tried to cal out to him, but she could hear Nero's voice fade away and she knew they were gone.


	50. Dread

**Disclaimer: **I don't own FFVII.

**Fifty**

-Dread-

She watched the sky with a mix of awe and horror. Shimmering particles of pure energy floated back down to the planet, drifting carelessly despite the significance they carried. These were the remnants of Omega, and she searched the cloud over the city for any sign of the winged demon she had come to know so well. Dread pulled sharply at her chest, and she forced herself to take a deep breath.

"Vincent?" Her soft voice was lost quickly in the eerily still night air.

He wasn't there.

She knew she should feel something other than joy and pride. She was happy Omega had been stopped, and she was proud Vincent had worked so hard to make it possible. This was all because of him, and the sacrifice he'd made.

Tears stung at her eyes, but she forced them back and smiled up at the clear night sky.

He was okay, she was sure he was. He had to be, because she wouldn't be able to handle it if she never saw him again. Any minute now he'd walk up and give her that smile. She kept scanning the ruins of Midgar, every footstep caught her attention, but the only people she saw were her friends and the WRO soldiers. Everyone was so happy, everyone was hugging and cheering. She shook her head and checked again. She was so sure he was going to be there any second. She just had to wait here and she was sure he would come find her.

Several hours later, Tifa hiked back out to get her.


	51. Meditating

**Disclaimer: **I don't own FFVII.

**Fifty One**

-Meditating-

He didn't know how he got here, and he didn't know what he was going to do with his life now. Everything about his life was turned upside-down, and he had spent the past several days contemplating his existence.

He didn't have the disgusting origins he'd always assumed he had. He had always thought Hojo had been the one to curse him with Chaos. Now that he knew the truth, he wasn't sure how he felt anymore. It didn't seem like such a burden on his soul, especially now that Chaos had returned to the planet and he didn't have to live knowing that he was a host to a demon. It was his body again, his imperfect body, but it was also a gift. Lucrecia had given this existence to him as a last resort. It was all she could do for him now. Trying to sort everything out was definitely one of the most difficult battles of his life.

He couldn't help feeling like he hated himself considerably less now that he knew the truth behind what happened thirty years ago in Nibelheim. He didn't feel so heavy anymore knowing that Lucrecia was finally at peace. They had all made terrible mistakes, and now they had all paid for them. The only thing he knew for sure was that she wanted him to keep on living. She had given him back his life, and he knew she expected him to get the most out of it like she never could.

And yet, he couldn't stop thinking of Yuffie either. He knew she must be worried about him. He also knew she was the main reason he was still hiding in this cave. He wasn't sure about his feelings for her. They were entirely too complicated. At least they had plenty of time to figure things out now. He finally felt like he could let her in, he promised himself the next time he saw her he would tell her everything. He owed it to her, after she had stuck by him for so long while getting nothing in return.

When he finally emerged from the cave, he felt much lighter than he had in a long time. It only took him a moment to realize someone was waiting for him, and he noted with amusement that Shelke was dressed like a normal kid now. She was smiling and content, and turned her back on him playfully when she realized he was watching her. He smiled to himself as he walked toward her. It looked like he wasn't the only one getting a second chance at life.


	52. Searching

**Disclaimer: **I don't own FFVII.

**Fifty Two**

-Searching-

It had been several weeks since he had emerged from the cave and rejoined the world. The reunion party had been rather uncomfortable, he still wasn't accustomed to being around so many people all the time. He supposed it was something he would probably never get used to.

The wind blew through his hair, tossing his cloak to the side gently as he gazed across the town stretched before him. Wutai was always so beautiful.

He had been everywhere else he could think of looking for her. He had surprised himself, he wanted to see her more than he assumed. And now here he was, in her hometown. If she wasn't here, he didn't know what he would do. Wandering the planet again seemed so cold.

Yuffie's footsteps thudded softly against the old wood boards of the bridge. She tightened her grip on the strap of her backpack and pulled it further up onto her shoulder. She'd survived another day, and was finally on her way home to spend the rest of the afternoon lounging around and practicing her slowly improving calligraphy skills. She reached the edge of town, glancing down at the occasional flower growing happily on the side of the footpath. Birds chirped overhead and a breeze rustled through the leaves of a nearby tree. Yuffie paused for a moment, sighing gently and staring up ahead at the shade of the tree outside the house Godo had built for her. The breeze blew through her hair almost affectionately, and she closed her eyes and inhaled carefully. She opened them again and thought she was seeing things for a second. She blinked in surprise and stood motionless on the footpath. No, there it was again.

The breeze picked up and she could see a flash of red fabric in the shade beside her house. She moved forward carefully, holding her breath and hoping she wasn't just getting her hopes up. She came around the slope in front of her house and stopped, letting her backpack slip down her shoulder slowly.

Vincent was sitting comfortably in front of her house, enjoying the shade of a tree and flipping through a book. She couldn't believe her eyes.

"Vincent..?" Her voice was shaky and uncertain, but held a musical tone to it that caught his attention. He looked up slowly and couldn't help but smile at the look on her face.

She hit his chest in a flash, catching him off guard and sending them both tumbling across the grass. Yuffie landed rather gracelessly on his chest, hugging him entirely too tightly and almost unable to contain her excitement.


	53. Perfect

**Disclaimer: **I don't own FFVII.

**Fifty Three**

-Perfect-

He couldn't believe he was here. He had been absolutely shocked when he woke up and realized it hadn't been a dream. He was really here, he had really gone out of his way to see her, and for no reason other than he _wanted _to see her. The window was open above him, letting in a crisp morning breeze. Sunshine fell around him on the bed, glittering off her hair and making her pale skin look like porcelain. Her lips were pulled up into a gentle smile and she slept peacefully. He couldn't help himself, and brought a hand down to brush curiously over the soft skin of her cheek.

Her eyes fluttered open and she stared over at him with the same amount of surprise, before it melted away and she smiled.

"Hey, you're still here." She said quietly before yawning. She closed her eyes again for a moment, then held a hand up to block the sun. After a few minutes of rather awkward silence, she got up and crawled out of bed, still wearing the clothes she had worn the day before.

He had kept his promise to himself. When Yuffie had finished talking about everything she could think of, he told her the truth. He told her everything he could about Lucrecia and Hojo, his life thirty years ago in Nibelheim. He told her why he was such a recluse, and how he felt about her. That had been the hard part. He couldn't believe even at his age it took so much courage to tell a girl how he felt about her. What was even worse was trying to explain to her exactly why he wasn't sure about any kind of relationship beyond being friends. He thought she'd be mad, and she was quiet for a long time. However it soon became fairly obvious that she was just happy to be near him, regardless of how close he would let her get. At some point during the night, she had fallen asleep with a firm grip on his shirt.

"Did you hear me?"

He looked up to see Yuffie standing over him with her hands on her hips. She smiled when she saw the confused look on his face and shook her head.

"I asked if you were ready to go. We gotta get outta here before my dad finds out some strange man is staying at my house unsupervised." She grinned and turned to walk back down the hall.

They were several miles out of Wutai before the town was even awake. Yuffie paused at the top of a hill to look back at her hometown. She patted the neck of her chocobo affectionately and smiled over at Vincent. Then she took off down the hill, the sunlight glistening off the chocobo's golden feathers. Something in Vincent's chest tightened, and he inhaled sharply before urging his own chocobo after them. He couldn't even remember the last time he had felt like maybe there was some hope after all.


	54. Starting Over

**Disclaimer: **I don't own FFVII.

**Fifty Four**

-Starting Over-

Yuffie looked over at him and smiled.

Vincent tried to ignore it, but she leaned closer and her eyes seemed to bore into his soul.

"What?" He asked in annoyance. Yuffie's smile widened and she leaned back and shrugged.

"You just look so _normal._" She said cheerfully. He eyed her suspiciously and took another drink.

"You're trying really hard, aren't you?" She asked, leaning forward and resting her elbows on her knees.

He ignored her again, trying to focus on the book he was reading. The fire crackled nearby and Yuffie's interest shifted for a moment as a group of snow-covered teenagers threw open the door of the inn and started talking loudly. He couldn't help but notice how she watched them somewhat longingly. She was still just a kid, after all. The last time he had seen her with someone her own age was three years ago when Godo tried to get her to marry some Wutain boy. Apparently it ended badly.

"I still can't understand why you don't just go make some friends." Vincent said without looking up from his book. Yuffie glowered at him slightly, then put her nose in the air.

"Maybe I will. A nice boy my own age! I bet I could snag one that's good at cooking." She grinned mischievously and looked over at Vincent. His face remained emotionless and his eyes still scanned the page of the book. She huffed quietly to herself and sank back into her chair.

She was quiet for a long time, and when Vincent noticed he looked over at her to make sure she was still alive. She was staring at the floor, moving her boots slightly and resting her cheek on her arm. She looked up at him again and he turned away uncomfortably.

"Hey Vincent." She said quietly. He glared back over at her and she smiled sweetly.

"Those girls are staring at you." She said teasingly. He couldn't stop himself from rolling his eyes that time and snapped the book shut.

"Alright. What do you want to do?" He asked impatiently. Yuffie stared up at him in surprise, then grinned and jumped to her feet.

"I wanna go snowboarding!" She declared. Vincent nodded in approval.

"Have fun. I'll be in my room." He said simply and turned back toward the stairs. Yuffie stared after him in shock. She was just starting to pout when she caught a glimpse of his teasing smile as he started up the stairs.


	55. Travel

**Disclaimer: **I don't own FFVII.

**Fifty Five**

-Travel-

The inside of the tent was glowing faintly from the sunlight filtering through the trees overhead. The air inside was hot and humid, and Vincent shifted uncomfortably. It took him a moment to realize Yuffie wasn't in her sleeping bag. He sat up wearily and glanced around. Her backpack was gone.

He stepped out of the tent and the cold morning air bit into his skin. It hadn't had time to warm up yet. He glanced around their campsite for a moment before brushing a hand through his hair. Her chocobo was still tied up next to his, so she was nearby. He decided to pack up camp and wait for her, and if she didn't show up soon he'd go looking for her.

An hour later, he looked up from his seat under a nearby tree to see Yuffie smiling at him. Her hair was wet and she was wearing a fresh change of clothes. When she got close enough, he could smell fresh water on her, mixed with the scent of unfamiliar foliage.

"Good morning!" She chirped happily, shaking her hair and sending a shimmering cloud of water droplets into the air.

He nodded a hello and walked back over to his chocobo. He was eager to get going, he didn't like staying in one place too long, and if they didn't leave soon Yuffie would have time to talk him into staying another night again. She knew what he was thinking and smiled to herself, shaking her hair one last time before clipping her backpack onto her chocobo's saddle and climbing up on its back. It was going to be a long ride, but they should be able to reach Cosmo Canyon before nightfall.

They rode side by side for a good portion of the journey. Usually, Yuffie would talk nearly nonstop and Vincent would nod occasionally to pretend he was paying attention. But today she was quiet. Vincent was thinking again, and it always made her uneasy. When he thought, he usually got depressed. And when he was depressed, he usually vanished and she wouldn't see him for months. She really couldn't handle being abandoned right now.

"Yuffie…"

She looked over and automatically smiled. Vincent slowly looked over at her, and she could feel her smile melting away uncertainly.

"Are you happy?" He asked quietly. Yuffie's face went blank in surprise.

"Of course I'm happy, I'm having a great time! Why?" She couldn't hide the nervous tone in her voice, it almost sounded like he was looking for a reason to ditch her somewhere again.

"Just curious." He replied casually. Yuffie rolled her eyes.

"You mean you were wondering how much I enjoy being _you_?" She asked teasingly. Vincent glanced over at her with a sharp look, and she grinned.

"You know I was wandering the planet for years before I even met you, right?" She gave him a challenging stare and Vincent looked away in amusement, a small smile tugging at the corner of his mouth.

"Of course that was back in the good ol' days before I had morals and a conscience to stop me from stealing materia for profit." She started talking about her childhood again and Vincent tuned her out. After a few more minutes of her talking, Vincent dug out the book he still hadn't finished reading. He probably had an hour or so before she would notice he was obviously not paying attention.


	56. Situation

**Disclaimer: **I don't own FFVII.

**Fifty Six**

-Situation-

It was a few long, painful moments before he realized he was holding his breath. His eyes were wide and his hand gripped the doorknob so tightly he heard the door groan in protest. He was absolutely sure at any moment now he would wake up, and then continue the day like nothing was wrong. There were some things that simply didn't happen to Vincent. This was supposed to be one of them. It was one of those things that would still haunt him hours from now when he was hiding in a bar in another town. He knew he should run, slam the door, say something, anything but stand there blushing furiously.

Yuffie seemed just as horrified at the situation, clutching the towel to her chest in nervous confusion. Her eyes seemed enormous, and she wasn't sure if she should move or not. She wasn't really mad, just surprised. It would have been much different, and much bloodier, if it had been Cid or Barret, but this was Vincent. He didn't do things like this, and that was why she should have found it so hilarious. She should have, but somehow the look on his face was just alarming.

"Oh god, am I that horrible to look at..?" She mumbled in embarrassment, trying to force a laugh and ignore the fact that he kept his eyes on her face very carefully. He honestly looked traumatized, and Yuffie found herself a little hurt.

The door snapped shut loudly, and he stood staring down the hall for several moments before he cleared his mind enough that he could move again.

He'd known it was a mistake to agree to share a room with her. She had insisted it would be fine, and getting separate rooms was getting expensive. Avoiding uncomfortable situations like this was exactly the reason why he had insisted they get separate rooms in the first place.


	57. Adjustments

**Disclaimer: **I don't own FFVII.

Note: I know you're all curious, so here's a continuation of that last chapter. I was going to skip it and let you all wonder, but couldn't resist after reading the reviews! It turned out pretty damn long, too…

**Fifty Seven**

-Adjustments-

He was in the bar when she finally found him. His eyes were closed and he looked relaxed, and for a moment Yuffie considered turning on her heel and running back out the door. It was one of those things that could easily be solved with time, all they had to do was avoid each other for a few days and then pretend it never happened. But something about it bothered Yuffie, and she just couldn't ignore it. She hadn't seen him all day, and now here he was, drinking away the apparently traumatic memory burned into the back of his mind. She was temped to go back to her room and change into her bikini before sitting down next to him.

He didn't look up when she took a seat next to him. Instead, and to her surprise, he passed her a drink. She stared down at the golden liquid curiously, then glanced back up at him. He finally turned and stared down at her when she didn't accept the offer, and she shuddered under the heavy crimson gaze.

"You're offering me alcohol?" She asked nervously, she forced a small grin and ran through the memories of the last time the two of them had sat down for a drink together. Come to think of it, that was quite a long time ago…

"You're not a child, Yuffie." His voice was harsh, and she wondered if maybe she'd done something else lately to make him angry.

She reached out slowly and picked up the glass. She finished it quickly and he had it refilled. Now Yuffie was beyond nervous, she was absolutely certain that he was getting ready to tell her it wasn't working out and he wanted to go off on his own again.

They sat there quietly for a long time. Yuffie was just finishing her second glass when Vincent stood up and started for the door. He paused after a few steps to look back at her.

"Let's go for a walk, Yuffie." He said quietly. She felt like there were rocks in her stomach as she slid off the chair and wandered after him.

She followed him through town for a while until he stopped at the town's tiny liquor store. He came back out a few minutes later, and checked to make sure Yuffie was still following him.

They reached the edge of town and when he turned to look at Yuffie, he couldn't miss the look of terror in her eyes. He couldn't imagine what would be scaring her so much, and he stood there staring at her for a while in confusion. He knew he'd seen her give him that look before, but just couldn't remember when. After a few minutes, it finally clicked, and he smiled.

He slowly moved back over to her, and she stared up at him with wide eyes. He hesitated for a moment, then reached out and gently took her hand. That seemed about fair, now they were both terrified.

She followed him carefully through the trees. She alternated between staring at his hair flowing out behind him and the hand that was holding onto hers tightly. A million things were running through her head, and none of them seemed to make any sense. She was blushing and her heart was pounding excitedly in her ears. She kept trying to stay calm, but it didn't seem to be working and every few moments she had to take another deep breath. After a good fifteen minutes of following him through the forest, he seemed happy with the location and they stopped. Yuffie glanced around at them. There was a short drop several meters ahead of them, and the ground sloped down to the valley below. They were in a small clearing, tall grass reached up around them and disappeared into the brush between the trees. It was a peaceful night, and the moon hanging low in the sky cast a dull glow around them.

He finally released her hand and walked forward, taking a seat carefully in the tall grass. Yuffie wandered over next to him and hesitated for a moment before settling into the grass. After a few moments, Vincent handed her a bottle. She couldn't read the label in the dark, but the smell burned her nose. She grinned and shook her head in amusement. So it was going to be one of _those _nights. She took a drink and forced back the urge to gag as it burned the back of her throat. She handed it back and watched him take a mouthful like it was water.

He sighed lightly and leaned back, resting his head on his arm and staring up at the stars. Yuffie hugged her knees to her chest nervously and watched him. She could barely see his face, but the moon was just bright enough to glow on his skin. Her heartbeat hadn't slowed down at all, and she felt like she might melt into the ground right there. She couldn't remember when she had realized how much she liked Vincent, but it was at least three years ago. Back then she never would have guessed that years later Vincent would let her get so close. She could hardly believe she was sitting here now, gazing down at him and not having to hide it.

"I'm sorry." He said quietly, looking up at her.

"For what?" Yuffie asked, confused.

"I should have knocked." He sat up and took another drink before leaning back again and avoiding Yuffie's gaze.

"Oh… It's alright, I guess I shouldn't have been running around naked. I just thought you would be gone longer…" She said in embarrassment. "I'm sorry I traumatized you…" She mumbled after a few moments.

"What?" Vincent stared up at her with wide eyes, and Yuffie couldn't tear her eyes off of him. She hadn't really meant to say it…

Then she burst out laughing. She reached over him to take the bottle, and he watched her cautiously.

"I wasn't traumatized, Yuffie. Just… Surprised…" He said awkwardly. She eyed him curiously, then decided to save him the pain and just drop the subject.

They both fell silent after that, just staring up at the stars glittering in the night sky. A cool breeze whistled past them, and Yuffie shuddered as it tossed her hair to the side. It was such a perfect night, she glanced down and watched Vincent sip from the bottle leisurely. He was entirely too relaxed, it seemed strange to see him so peaceful. After everything he'd been through, it was a wonder he could still smile.

"Do you like having me around?" Yuffie asked softly. Vincent looked up at her. His face was emotionless and after a few moments, he sat up.

"If I didn't like having you around, I wouldn't be here, would I?" He said gently. Yuffie's gaze snapped back up to the sky and she tried to fight the deep blush coloring her cheeks.

Her back stiffened in surprise when she felt fingers on her shoulder. Vincent brushed his hand down her shoulder blade, pausing for a moment before taking her hand and pulling her back into the grass. She rested her head on his arm and stared up at the sky, holding her breath and trying to keep her face from burning up. Her heart was beating so fast she was sure he could hear it. It was absolute bliss, she was so happy she wanted to explode. The tension almost hurt, she wanted to just sit up and kiss him, but she was terrified that any movement might make him uncomfortable. She was happy just like this, and she soaked it in. Vincent passed her the bottle, and every few minutes his body seemed to relax a little more. Finally, the moon had sunk down low in the sky, and he decided they'd better head back before the alcohol hit them and they couldn't find the town again. He wrapped an arm around Yuffie's shoulders and they started back toward the inn.


	58. Storm

**Disclaimer: **I don't own FFVII.

**Fifty Eight**

-Storm-

The trip to Edge was entirely too short. It was beautiful countryside, and Vincent rarely came out this way. He had wanted to take their time, but Yuffie was too excited. She wanted to see Tifa and Marlene, and she was dying for a home-cooked meal. She also made sure to point out the fact that Vincent needed a shower.

They were nearly there, but a storm rushing in from the ocean forced them to set up camp at the base of the mountains. They had found a nice sheltered area between some boulders, and Yuffie watched with amusement as their chocobos fluffed up and huddled together in the shelter of an overhang. Vincent had set up the tent and weighed it down with some rocks, then tossed their sleeping bags inside and called out to Yuffie. She nearly trampled him trying to get out of the cold as thick drops of water started to pelt them, and Vincent could hardly stop from laughing as she struggled to cover her legs. He still remembered telling her to dress warmly for the winter weather, and she brushed it off, saying she was sure it wasn't that cold.

"Don't you dare say it…" She growled darkly, using the sleeping bag as a shield so she could change into long pants.

Vincent zipped up the tent and settled in next to her. He took off his boots and pulled his own sleeping bag around him, trying to ward off the nearly freezing air. Nights like this made him wish he had a nice cozy lodge somewhere in the mountains instead of a chocobo and a backpack.

He jumped in surprise when Yuffie scrambled into his lap, pulling her sleeping bag over them and nearly wrapping herself around Vincent. He held his arms out awkwardly, staring down at her with wide eyes. She was shuddering gently, and didn't seem to notice she might be doing anything odd or uncomfortable.

"What are you doing..?" He asked nervously. Yuffie looked up at him and smiled sweetly.

"You looked all nice and warm, I was jealous." Her eyes sparkled and he groaned internally. Though he enjoyed her company and the occasional flirting, physical contact without the help of alcohol still made him uneasy. The worst part of it was he found himself actually _enjoying _it.

When it became apparent she wasn't giving up anytime soon, he sighed and let his arms drop around her shoulders. The longer they sat there together, the more Vincent found himself relaxing. She was warm and soft, and he noticed after a while that her breathing had evened out and she'd fallen asleep curled up against his chest.

He leaned back very carefully, making sure not to wake her up. He settled in comfortably, and Yuffie shifted happily on top of him. One hand wound gently into his shirt, and the other fell down over his shoulder. He stayed awake for a long time, listening to her gentle breathing. It was much more soothing than he thought it would be, for some reason, he always saw being near her as terrifying and stressful. This was much different. He tightened his arms around her gently and hesitated for a brief second before brushing his face against her hair. It sent a shiver down his spine, and he stared up at the ceiling of the tent with a small smile on his face. A few months ago it seemed almost impossible, but now that he was here, holding her, he felt like maybe there really was a chance that the two of them might end up together.


	59. Bad News

**Disclaimer: **I don't own FFVII.

**Fifty Nine**

-Bad News-

He'd only been gone for an hour or two, but he knew something terrible was going on the moment he opened Tifa's front door. Cloud was sitting rather awkwardly at the table, and he barely looked up when Vincent closed the door behind him. Frantic crying could be heard from down the hall, and he stared toward the sound of the voices in alarm.

"What's going on?" He asked Cloud. The blond man looked stressed, and he motioned down the hall.

"You'd better go talk to Yuffie, she's taking it pretty hard." He mumbled distantly.

Vincent hurried down the hall and paused to knock on the door he heard the voices coming from. Tifa threw the door open and sighed with relief when she saw Vincent standing there anxiously. She turned just in time as Yuffie came flying past her to bury her face in Vincent's shirt. She was sobbing almost uncontrollably, and he could barely understand what she was saying.

"Yuffie, calm down. What happened?" He asked gently, holding her shoulders firmly. She sniffed miserably and looked up at him with tears still streaming down her face.

"My… my dad is dying!" She wailed, shoving her face into his chest again. Her shoulders shook violently and he looked over at Tifa helplessly. She didn't seem to know what to do either, and just shrugged, motioning for him to hug her and pet her hair. He did his best to try and comfort her, but she seemed to be in near-panic.

"I have to go back to Wutai… Oh god, Vincent, I'm not old enough to be queen! I'm not ready!" She started sobbing all over again, and he held her tightly.

Now he really wasn't sure what to do, not only was her father dying, but she was being forced to take over Wutai much too early. Somehow, he hadn't expected that this day would ever come. Yuffie just didn't seem like the kind of girl that would be happy looking after her own country. She was such a free spirit, she really seemed to love traveling with him the past few weeks… What would happen to that? She wouldn't be able to travel the world with him once she was crowned, she would be too busy for adventures through bad weather and dangerous countryside. Now that he thought about it, she would be too busy for _him_. After everything they'd been through together, they had come so far over the past three years, and now they were being torn apart. It didn't seem fair, he _needed _her. He'd lost the first woman he loved, he wasn't sure if he could handle losing Yuffie…

His arms tightened around her and he buried his face in her hair. She didn't seem to notice his body tense with worry.


	60. Unfair

**Disclaimer: **I don't own FFVII.

**Sixty**

-Unfair-

He could still see the look on her face, it was burning into his mind. She had looked so terrified, standing in front of her friends. Everyone had come with her, they all wanted to be there for her, no matter how it turned out. Cid patted her on the shoulder, Cloud nodded respectfully, Tifa hugged her and tried not to cry. Barret wrapped an arm around the girl's small frame, telling her it would be alright. She didn't seem to hear any of it as she walked past them all. Her face was blank and distant, but Vincent could see the fear behind her eyes. She wasn't ready for this, she was so sure she couldn't handle it. She had paused for a moment in front of him, looking up slowly to meet his heavy crimson gaze. He knew the others were all watching, now with surprised curiosity as realization dawned on them. He couldn't bring himself to care, he just wanted to make it better. He wanted to pick her up and just walk away, leaving Wutai to fend for itself. He wanted to hide her somewhere far away, where she wouldn't have to deal with anything other than living the life she wanted.

Yuffie's fingertips brushed the side of his face, and when he didn't flinch away he could hear Tifa's excited gasp. Cid murmured a curse and grinned, crossing his arms and cocking his head to the side in disbelief. Barret didn't seem to approve, and Cloud just lowered his gaze.

Yuffie moved forward slowly, pressing up against him miserably and wrapping her arms around his waist. He pulled her closer and his other hand drifted up to cradle the back of her neck. She stepped back after a moment, staring down at her feet sadly. Vincent squeezed her hand in reassurance.

"We'll be waiting right here." He said softly. Yuffie nodded, stepping back and letting his hand fall from her grasp.

They watched her quietly, the wind blowing viciously around them. Tifa started to cry, and Barret pulled her close.

"Come on, kid, let's go in." He said sadly, turning her as Cloud stepped up to her other side and helped escort her back onto the Shera.

Cid turned to Vincent and cursed under his breath.

"I knew she was gonna have to grow up sometime, I guess I was hopin' I wouldn't have to see it." He said distantly, putting a cigarette to his lips.

"Come inside and get a drink, it's gonna be a long day."

Vincent nodded absently, turning slowly to follow the others back to the airship.


	61. Changing

**Disclaimer: **I don't own FFVII.

**Sixty One**

-Changing-

He tried his best not to show the horror he felt. Yuffie looked like she might burst into tears at any moment, her spirit was crushed and he realized she had simply given up. He had no idea what Godo had said to her, but she was just an empty shell of the girl he had gotten so attached to.

She was sitting rather uncomfortably on the chair, trying to put her belongings back in her bag while the kimono restricted her movement. Her hair was clipped back with silver ornaments, and she was actually wearing makeup. He really liked her better covered in mud… This just wasn't Yuffie.

"They think he has a few more months. In the meantime, he wants me to be ready to take over. He's hired teachers and I'm going to be tutored on everything I should have been taught years ago." She mumbled absently. Her hands were shaking gently, and Vincent couldn't think of what to say. She was so upset, and there really wasn't any upside to this… He sat down next to her, and she sighed heavily, leaning her head on his shoulder and closing her eyes.

"I guess I'd just always held out hope that Godo would have a son, and then this would all be his responsibility…" He expected her to start crying again, but it seemed like she had finally accepted what was happening and given up hope.

Half an hour later, she was on her way back to the city. She said her goodbyes to the group, and finally turned to Vincent. She reached her arms out for a hug, and he pulled her close eagerly. She felt tears welling up in her eyes, but she forced them back and smiled for him.

"Thanks for everything, Vincent, it's really been great." She said shakily.

Her fingers curled into the shoulders of his shirt, and he slid his hands down to rest gently on her hips. After a few long moments, she started to loosen her grip and step backward, but stopped when Vincent refused to let go of her. She felt herself blush as his hand touched the side of her face delicately, and he leaned down quickly to press his lips to hers. It was a loving caress, and before she had time to react he had pulled away again with a gentle smile. She blushed harder and held her breath to keep from crying. Of course he'd wait until the last minute to express his feelings for her, after spending months alone together. She glanced over and realized the others were still watching in wide-eyed surprise, and she waved a hurried goodbye.

Vincent stared after her for a long time, even after he couldn't see her on the path anymore. He sighed heavily, feeling that depression creeping up on him again. He wondered what he would do now, alone and finding himself broken hearted yet again. All he could think was at least they hadn't gotten so close that being torn apart would be agonizing…

He felt a hand on his shoulder and flinched slightly, turning to see Tifa draw her hand back sharply and murmur an apology.

"Oh Vincent… I'm so sorry…" She said softly. He nodded acknowledgement and glanced over to see the sadness on her face. He was quiet for a long time, but she wouldn't leave.

"Will you be alright?" She asked, watching him with worried eyes. He nodded stiffly, and she sighed.

"So what will you do now?" She couldn't help it, he had been so happy and now they might as well have just found him in that coffin. He shrugged gently and looked over at her with dull eyes.

"I suppose I'll see if there's anywhere in this world where I might fit in." He said venomously.

He turned and walked back to the airship, and Tifa watched him with tears in her eyes. He had come so far, Yuffie had made him so happy, and now he seemed even more depressed and spiteful than when they'd found him.


	62. Broken

**Disclaimer: **I don't own FFVII.

**Sixty Two**

-Broken-

Vincent was exhausted. His body ached from exertion, and he stared up at Lucrecia's peaceful face. He had finished destroying nearly everything in the old Shin-ra manor, and barely felt any better. He found himself here after spending the past few hours throwing crates and tables around, knocking over bookshelves, and generally wreaking havoc on the mansion he hated so much. That's where it all started, that's where his life turned into a living hell. He swore to himself he would never go back. Everything he owned was strapped to the back of the chocobo tethered outside the cave. A few guns, some clothing, a sleeping bag, and Yuffie's tent.

His chest hadn't stopped hurting since he'd left Wutai. He couldn't stop thinking of Yuffie. He hadn't realized how lonely it was without her. He kept expecting to hear her voice, turn around and see her smiling, anything. Life seemed so empty now. It was the first time since Meteor that he felt completely out of place. It didn't even feel like he was on the right planet. Every possible purpose in his life was lost over thirty years ago… By all means, he should have died by now. Even if he had survived Hojo's experiments on his own, he should have died during the fight with Omega. There was no reason for him to be here anymore…


	63. Empty

**Disclaimer: **I don't own FFVII.

**Sixty Three**

-Empty-

Yuffie collapsed miserably on the carpet. One of the hairclips dislodged itself and pulled her hair. She yanked it out and threw it across the room, glaring at it as she tried to make herself comfortable in the stiff kimono. She managed to crawl over to the window, throwing it open and taking a breath of fresh air. She sighed heavily and rested her chin on her crossed arms. She let her eyes slide closed as she enjoyed the gentle breeze. It rustled through the trees in the small courtyard behind her room. She could hear crickets singing happily somewhere in the dark.

She gazed up at the dimly lit tree branches swaying outside. The moon was nearly full, and it lit up the small courtyard with a gentle glow. It was the closest she'd been to being content in weeks. Yuffie's body heaved as she sighed again, and she could hardly bring herself to move. She would stare out into the secluded courtyard until she fell asleep, then in the early morning hours someone would come to wake her up and she'd start another day. She hated it. She hated having teachers for everything, she couldn't hardly contain the frustration she felt. She hated being around so many stuffy old men all day, she hated having to act like she cared about everything. Most of all, she hated the way everyone stared at her. Like she was some freak. She couldn't hardly move in her kimono, she had a hard time with high heels, and she had a tendency to be rude and abrupt with people she didn't like. So far, that list consisted of everyone around her.

Gazing out at the gently moving trees, she forced herself not to cry. It would pass soon, she would go numb inside and then she would be perfect material for her teachers to work with. As soon as she could stop thinking about Vincent, the sooner she could give in and stop caring about her life.


	64. Hopeful

**Disclaimer: **I don't own FFVII.

**Sixty Four**

-Hopeful-

Yuffie's eyes widened and she felt her blood run cold. She was sure she was seeing things, but when she blinked he was still standing there. Vincent was watching her from across the marketplace. Her heart started pounding in her hears and she felt tears in her eyes.

A smile flashed across her face, and she rushed forward to meet him, not caring what her tutor thought of her running off. In her excitement, she forgot she was wearing her kimono, and combined with the wobbly shoes, she lost her balance almost immediately, falling forward to land on her knees in the dirt. She cursed under her breath as everyone nearby seemed to panic. A dozen hands pulled her back to her feet, and suddenly she was being dusted off and checked for wounds. She rolled her eyes, then shifted her gaze back over to where Vincent was. He had disappeared into the crowd of people, and she felt like a brick hit her in the chest.


	65. Watching

**Disclaimer: **I don't own FFVII.

**Sixty Five**

-Watching-

He hadn't meant to get too close, he just wanted to catch a glimpse of her. He'd hoped that would be all he needed to survive another few weeks on his own. He'd been caught off guard when she'd noticed him, and he felt bad. He was sure she assumed he hated her for what she was being forced to become. He simply hadn't wanted to make a scene, she was surrounded by people and everyone knew who she was. It would have looked awful for her to strike up a conversation with someone that looked like a murderer… He couldn't confront her like this, he couldn't bear it if his appearance made her life more difficult. She definitely didn't need rumors going around about some kind of scandalous love interest that had a striking resemblance to a vampire. But still, he was dying to see her again. That glimpse in the marketplace only made him want to be closer.

Which was why he was now sneaking into the palace and trying to locate her bedroom.

It wasn't exactly a big place, but that just made it harder to wander around unnoticed. He'd scaled the roof and tried to think. He was sure she had a bedroom around here somewhere, he could have sworn he'd been there once with Cloud looking for their materia… He knew it looked out at the courtyard, but wasn't about to run around peeking in every window. As if on cue, Yuffie opened her bedroom window, and Vincent put a hand to his face and shook his head in disbelief. He crept closer and watched her from his place hidden in the shadows of the rooftop.

She didn't exactly look happy. In fact, when he peered closer, he could tell she was crying. She reached up and pulled the ornaments from her hair, setting them aside and resting her forehead on her arm. Her shoulders were slumped over miserably, and he felt his heart ache at seeing her so unhappy.

He watched her for a long time, making sure no one else was watching as he jumped down into the courtyard. Yuffie didn't seem to notice him yet, and he moved closer as quietly as he could. His eyes were locked on her still form, and he wondered for a moment if she'd fallen asleep. He paused under a tree and sighed. He didn't want to complicate things… Eventually, she would be content with her life, and it would happen a lot sooner if he didn't hang around to remind her of the good old days.

He couldn't believe how much things had changed between them. He used to do everything he could to avoid her, and now he was sneaking into the palace just to watch her through her bedroom window. He sighed and let his head fall back against the tree. He stared up at the stars glittering through the tree branches, trying to sort out his thoughts. His life certainly had turned upside-down lately…


	66. Won't Give Up

**Disclaimer: **I don't own FFVII.

**Sixty Six**

-Won't Give Up-

He'd been so close, and he just vanished. She tossed her hairclips aside and leaned heavily on her window sill. She wanted to just climb out and run. She could climb the wall and disappear into the Wutain countryside. It was a big planet, she could turn into someone else far away and forget she was ever a princess. She could pretend she didn't have a past, and she could just be _happy_. How was sitting around here going to be of any use to the planet? What if something else happened and the world needed saving again? She wouldn't be able to help, she'd be stuck here, signing papers and sorting out disputes between farmers or hotel managers.

Worst of all, if she was here, she couldn't be with Vincent. Her father would throw a fit if he even found out she'd been traveling the planet with him for the past few months. She rested her head on her arms and closed her eyes miserably. She missed Vincent entirely too much. She would give anything to be out there with him again. She missed riding her chocobo beside him, irritating him until he tuned her out, huddling with him in the rain. All of it, she missed everything about the life she'd been leading before hearing about her father's health.

She could still remember a time when she was younger and her head was filled with aspirations to take her father's place. She had worked so hard to make Godo happy, and didn't realize until years later exactly what he was doing with all the materia she brought him. She couldn't feel her pride after that, it just seemed too ridiculous.

She jumped in terror and threw herself backward as she felt fingers brush through her hair. Her eyes were wide and her heart was pounding so hard it hurt. She stared up at the window and couldn't hide the shock on her face.

"Sorry, I didn't mean to scare you…" Vincent stared down at her from outside her window, trying not to laugh at the look on her face.

She was sprawled rather awkwardly on the floor, leaning up on her elbow and trying to get her feet to move right in her kimono. Her eyes softened happily, then she glared at him.

"Would it kill you to knock? I think I had a heart attack!" She hissed softly, checking to make sure no one was headed toward her room. Her gaze shifted back to Vincent.

"Well get in here before someone sees you lurking out there!" She whispered urgently, shuffling back to give him some room. He climbed in the window and took a seat next to her low table.

She managed to get to her feet again and slowly closed the window, trying to keep from making noise. Then she turned back to Vincent and sighed with a smile.

"I am gonna get in so much trouble if someone finds you here…" She said softly, struggling to sit down across from him. They were quiet for a few minutes, then Yuffie shifted nervously.

"So what are you doing here?" She asked quietly, trying to catch a glimpse of his face past his cloak. He refused to answer, and Yuffie grinned.

"You missed me, didn't you? Aww! Poor Vincent, you must be so lonely now without me there to protect you!" She joked lightly, trying to get him to relax. He only seemed to get more withdrawn, and Yuffie blushed.

After a few more minutes, Vincent took a deep breath and reached out to take her hand. She moved forward and he pulled her up to his chest. He wound his arms around her carefully and she melted into him, almost bubbling with joy. She was so happy she could actually feel her eyes watering, but she forced it back and tried her best to just enjoy the moment. He brushed his fingers through her hair soothingly, and she forced herself not to fall asleep. He would leave if she fell asleep, and she didn't know yet if he'd be back or not.

Regardless, an hour later her eyes slid closed and Vincent set her down carefully on the futon in the corner. She was awoken a few hours later when one of her tutors stared pounding at the door. She didn't bother checking to make sure he was gone, she knew he must have left around the time she fell asleep. She hurried to put on a fresh kimono and brush out her hair.


	67. Interesting

**Disclaimer: **I don't own FFVII.

**Sixty Seven**

-Interesting-

She hadn't seen him in a week. After he'd snuck into her room, he'd vanished again and left her wondering. She kept expecting to open her bedroom door and see him sitting on the futon in the corner, waiting patiently for her, but he was never there. She hadn't even caught a glimpse of him.

Closing the door behind her with a sigh, Yuffie dropped a thick book on the floor and struggled to free herself from her kimono. She tossed it unceremoniously across the room and glowered at it before turning to grab a tank top from her closet and pull it on. She brushed her fingers through her hair and turned back to her window, wandering over to throw it open and let some fresh air in. She was just reaching down to pick up her book when she noticed the rose sitting on her table. It was a long stemmed- blood red rose.

She gripped the book to chest self-consciously and glanced out the window, checking to make sure he wasn't lurking nearby before moving over to brush her fingertips on the rose petals. She felt herself blush deeply, and she stared down at it nervously.

It had to have been someone else, Vincent would never do something like that… She kept trying to tell herself she was crazy to think he liked her that much. Of course he would never go out of his way to do something like this. No matter how she looked at it, she just couldn't bring herself to believe Vincent could have had anything to do with it. He definitely wasn't the kind of guy that would give a girl flowers. She'd always assumed if he ever decided he was in love with her, he'd just say it then change the subject and they'd never talk about it again.

Yuffie sighed in disappointment. It must have just been that kid Godo kept trying to talk her into marrying.

She reached down carefully to pick it up, ready to toss it across the room. Holding it close, she examined it momentarily before something on the table caught her eye. Leaning forward curiously, she realized the rose had been resting on something, and her heart skipped a beat when she recognized what it was. Vincent's Cerberus keychain sat gleaming on the table.


	68. Acceptance

**Disclaimer: **I don't own FFVII.

**Sixty Eight**

-Acceptance-

Yuffie looked up at the leaves, glowing brightly in the warm sunshine. She smiled peacefully and looked back down to give the chocobo another handful of greens. She petted it gently and it turned to chase after another chocobo that was getting too close. She watched them play happily, stretching their legs in the afternoon sun. Shoes crunched lightly on the gravel and she turned curiously to see who it was that tracked her down.

"They're looking for you."

She smiled up at Vincent, and the sun glittered beautifully in his crimson eyes. The corner of his mouth turned up in a small smile.

"They're like vultures, always circling me and picking away at my soul." She said with a giggle, gesturing at the kimono she was wearing. Vincent noted with amusement that it was stained with dirt and she was barefoot.

Neither of them spoke for a while, and Yuffie shifted closer to him in case he tried to disappear again. The chocobo she'd been feeding lingered several feet away, unsure of the man now standing beside her. It changed its mind and ran off to find its own food.

"Tifa called me yesterday." Yuffie said quietly. Vincent glanced down at her curiously, and she grinned up at him.

"She said no one's heard from you in a while. She was worried about you." He didn't share her amusement.

"I told her I hadn't seen you in a while…"

Vincent eyed her suspiciously, and she laughed when she saw the look on his face. She shook her head and reached out to wind her arms around him, hugging him happily. He rested his hands gently on her hips and brushed his face against her hair. She sighed gently and closed her eyes.

Then he pushed her back and stepped several feet away, nodding an apology to her. She watched in hurt surprise as he started off down the road. Several moments later she realized three women were calling her name and running up the road toward her. They crowded around her and one of them sighed heavily.

"Lady Kisaragi, please don't run off like that! You had us all so worried!"

She ignored them as they fussed over her, chiding her for the stains on her kimono and asking what she'd done with her shoes this time. Her eyes were locked on Vincent's retreating form until the women took her by the arms and started leading her back to town.


	69. Complications

**Disclaimer: **I don't own FFVII.

**Sixty Nine**

-Complications-

She was crying when Vincent finally found his way to her room again. It was fairly late, and he was surprised she was still awake. He leaned curiously on her window sill for a moment until she looked up and noticed him. Her lips parted miserably and she choked back a sob, holding her arms out like she was in pain.

He was at her side in moments and wrapped his arms around her as she buried her face in his chest. She wound her fingers into his shirt as she cried, and he rubbed a hand along her back awkwardly as he tried to think of what to do. Her shoulders were shaking violently and she tightened her grip around his waist. After a while she calmed down, and he ran his fingers through her hair as she looked up at him.

"My dad died…" She choked out another sob and wiped her eyes with the back of her hand. "I don't know what's gonna happen now…" She started crying again and Vincent pulled her up into his lap. She rested her head on his shoulder and wrapped her arms around his neck.

He held her for a long time, until she was finally too exhausted to cry anymore. She curled up next to him on the futon, and he held her hand until the sun started to peek over the horizon. It was going to be a long day, and he didn't leave her side until he could hear footsteps down the hall.


	70. Busy

**Disclaimer: **I don't own FFVII.

**Seventy**

-Busy-

There was a lot going on at the palace since Lord Godo passed away. Vincent watched the action from town, occasionally catching glimpses of Yuffie as she was escorted back and forth through town and from the pagoda to the palace. The council was under a lot of stress, they didn't have much time and had barely gotten a chance to train Yuffie at all. She looked confused and stressed whenever Vincent saw her, like she was near tears but biting it back.

Vincent watched as groups of people he'd never seen before descended on the palace. There seemed to be people everywhere, and no one was really getting anything noticeable done. He wanted to talk to Yuffie, but it was obvious he wasn't going to get a chance for a while. It would probably be weeks before they left her alone again.

He gave her a silent goodbye before leading his chocobo out of town again. There was no sense hanging around, he might as well pay a visit to Nanaki for some advice.


	71. Rejection

**Disclaimer: **I don't own FFVII.

**Seventy One**

-Rejection-

Yuffie wiped the angry tears from her eyes as she nearly ripped the kimono from her body and threw it across the room. Pulling on her favorite shorts and tank top, she hurried to shove the few belongings she wanted to keep in her backpack. She pulled on her boots, wiped some more tears from her face, then shoved past the worried women crowded around her bedroom door.

"Please don't go, Lady Kisaragi!" One of them wailed, wiping the tears from her own face.

"You'll come back, won't you?" Another woman asked.

She ignored them as she rushed down the hallway, her anger and frustration nearly boiling over. She was hurt, deeply. She wasn't sure exactly how she felt, all she knew was that she wanted out of here. Now. She wanted to be as far away as she could get before sundown.


	72. Now What?

**Disclaimer: **I don't own FFVII.

**Seventy Two**

-Now What?-

It was raining. Of course it was raining. Why not rain on her? After all, it was only the absolute worst day of her life. Her chocobo complained bitterly as it stalked along through the ankle-deep puddles. It tried to shake the rain from its head, but only succeeded in showering Yuffie with muddy water. She wiped it from her face and scowled darkly at the sky.

Yuffie refused to stop. She still wasn't a comfortable distance from Wutai yet. She wasn't sure what she was checking for when she turned to look back the way she'd come. The idea toyed in her head that her past was already rushing after her, determined to haunt her no matter where she ran to hide.

She tightened her thin jack around herself and urged her chocobo to run. It couldn't be that much further, she'd been riding for hours.

A flash lit up the sky and Yuffie jumped in surprise. Looking up at the clouds with wide eyes, she felt the boom of thunder rattle through her body. Her chocobo stopped uncertainly, warked its disapproval, then took off at a mad dash through the trees. Yuffie clung to it and hid her face as rainwater splashed up around them.

Another flash and she caught a glimpse of the ocean. Her chocobo paused for a moment under a thick tree and gazed down at the valley below them. It was a winding little path down through the hills, but she could see the small harbor as another bright flash momentarily lit up the countryside. Checking the time, she sighed and tried to convince the chocobo to keep going.

"We're almost there, I swear!" She shouted over the roar of the weather.

It shuddered and shook out its feather, then darted forward and Yuffie grabbed its neck as she nearly fell off into the mud. It started raining harder and she pulled her hood down to block the water from splashing on her face as she struggled to see the path ahead of them in the dark.


	73. Recovery

**Disclaimer: **I don't own FFVII.

**Seventy Three**

-Recovery-

Tifa watched in surprise as Yuffie snatched the bottle from her hand and took a few gulps. She shuddered, then sighed and set the bottle on the countertop. Tifa shrugged and turned around, setting the glass back in the cupboard. She took a seat across the table from the young ninja and rested her chin in her hand.

"Okay, spill it. What happened?" She asked, watching the girl curiously as she tore into the sandwich Tifa had set in front of her.

Yuffie snorted and rolled her eyes.

"They booted my ass to the curb! They couldn't even wait a goddamn week out of respect after my father died!" She said angrily, her cheeks heating up at the memory. She grabbed the bottle and took a long drink from it. Tifa's eyes widened in disbelief.

"They even had the fuckin' nerve to tell me to my face that the only reason I was there was because my father wanted me to rule! They told me I wasn't 'princess material' and they were gettin' some idiot cousin of mine to take over!" She ripped viciously at the sandwich and followed it with another long drink before setting it down heavily and forcing back the angry tears in her eyes.

"After all the crap they put me through, the moment my dad kicks the bucket they let me know everyone in Wutai thinks saving the world twice doesn't mean you have the right stuff to rule a country!" Her shoulders started shaking and Tifa ran around the table to hug the smaller girl.

"It'll be okay… You can stay here as long as you want, it'll be fine." Tifa looked down at her as she took another few sips and finished her sandwich.

"Who wants to rule that crappy little tourist trap anyway, right?" Yuffie sniffed miserably and Tifa stared at her with worried eyes.


	74. Causing Trouble

**Disclaimer: **I don't own FFVII.

**Seventy Four**

-Causing Trouble-

"Tifa?" Vincent answered the phone with caution. He couldn't remember the last time anyone had called him, especially Tifa. He silently prayed it didn't mean there was trouble while he waited for her to respond.

"Hey Vincent!" She said hurriedly, trying to sound cheerful.

"Is something wrong?" He asked quietly. He heard Tifa sigh heavily.

"It's about Yuffie, I'm really worried." She said softly. Vincent's eyes widened slightly and there was a silent pause before she continued.

"She left Wutai, I guess they thought she was too wild to be queen… Anyway, she stopped by yesterday and now she's gone. I don't know where she is, but she's really broken up right now! I know she'll listen to you, please just make sure she's alright…" Her voice cracked with worry and Vincent inhaled sharply.

"I'll have her call you when I find her." He said gently.

He turned to put his phone away, then scanned the area around him. He was just outside Rocket Town. Thinking carefully, he tried to imagine where Yuffie might have gone. She was upset, and probably contemplating her future. She'd want to be alone, but he couldn't imagine she would be able to get too far away, she still had a strong connection with her friends, especially Tifa. His first guess was Midgar, she liked it there for some reason. Turning his chocobo around, he started the long trip through the Nibel mountains to Costa del Sol.


	75. Heavy Sigh

**Disclaimer: **I don't own FFVII.

**Seventy Five**

-Heavy Sigh-

There had to be a reason she seemed to be avoiding him. He knew she could take care of herself, despite what Tifa seemed to think. Wherever she was, he knew she was fine. He just wasn't sure where she could possibly be hiding.

She'd been missing for two weeks now, and he had made sure to check Midgar thoroughly. No one he talked to seemed to have seen her, and he checked all the areas in Midgar he knew she liked. There was no sign of her, so he had moved on to check Kalm. Still nothing. He was now sitting on a hill outside Junon, wondering if he was even on the right continent.

There was a chance she was hiding out in Gongaga. That was were he had first met her, and he knew she loved that area. He inhaled deeply, then closed his eyes for a few moments. He decided to check the area one last time before heading off to Gongaga. The countryside here was beautiful, it was certainly somewhere he would want to go to think.

Before he left, he tried calling her phone one more time. It went straight to voicemail, and he sighed, hanging up. If she was going to disappear, she could at least let everyone know she was doing alright on her own…


	76. What?

**Disclaimer: **I don't own FFVII.

**Seventy Six**

-What?-

"Hey!"

Vincent turned curiously when he heard the young man's voice ring out above the clamor of several hundred bustling shoppers. He stopped in surprise when he realized the man was shouting at _him_. He doubled over in front of Vincent, resting his hands on his knees and panting in exhaustion. He raised his hand for a moment and took a few deep breaths.

"Okay, so I heard you talking over by the mythril booth. It took me a few minutes to remember, but I know who you're lookin' for!" He panted as he stood up. Vincent wondered how long the man had been chasing him, he hadn't visited the mythril booth in at least an hour…

"Hey, lemme see!" He reached out eagerly to the picture clutched in Vincent's hand. He hesitated for a moment before surrendering it to the younger man. His brow furrowed in concentration as he examined it, then his eyes widened and he grinned.

"Yea! That's her!" He whistled and shook his head. "Man, she is _amazing_!"

"Excuse me..?" Vincent hesitated in uncertainty as the man grinned.

"She's the greatest chocobo racer I've ever seen in my life!" The man nearly shouted. Vincent peered around as people seemed to stop and tune in to the conversation.

"Chocobo racer?" He asked shakily. That couldn't be right…

"Yea! At the Gold Saucer! She rides a black chocobo named Oritsuru! I've never seen her lose!" He exclaimed. Vincent stared at him in shock for a moment before shaking his head and forcing himself to begin processing the information he'd just received.

"Yuffie is working at the Gold Saucer as a chocobo racer?" He asked absently. The guy nodded, giving him an odd look.

"You know her? Could you get me an autograph? Hey, can you get me her phone number?!" He asked excitedly. Vincent turned and walked away.

The Gold Saucer? That made no sense… Why would she be there? But then again, why would she be ignoring him? Was it possible she was no longer interested in being friends, or anything else for that matter? Vincent rolled these thoughts over in his head for hours. It just wouldn't click into place. It didn't seem like the thing Yuffie would do. Should he even go check it out? It could be some other girl named Yuffie that happened to be a thin yet athletic Wutain girl between the ages of 18 and 23 with dark hair and stormy brown eyes, that just so happened to enjoy materia and throwing metal objects…

Ultimately, he decided he had better check, just to make sure it wasn't her.


	77. Finally

**Disclaimer: **I don't own FFVII.

**Seventy Seven**

-Finally-

Her back arched beautifully and his eyes widened slightly as the light glinted off her exposed hips. Her skin was misted with sweat, and it seemed to flash teasingly with every colored light she passed under. Her chocobo warked angrily as a rather large golden tried to pass it, only to be cut off abruptly. Yuffie grinned in amusement, patting the side of Oritsuru's neck in affection. It blew past the finish line with several meters to spare as the other racers and their birds huffed in exhaustion. Oritsuru warked in excitement and, as far as Vincent could tell, was ready for another race. Yuffie dismounted gracefully, her legs swinging over the saddle almost leisurely. Her boots hit the ground and she sauntered away. Oritsuru basked in the light for a moment before rushing after her with a wark of excitement. She patted his neck and pulled some greens from her pack.

Vincent watched in shock. He couldn't even think of what to rush through his head. Yuffie was _here. _Not only was she _here_, of all places, but she seemed exceptionally _happy_. Not just happy, as far as he could tell she was ecstatic… The way she patted her chocobo on the head, the way she swayed her hips in pride, the way she turned to smile and wave at the wildly cheering audience.

He was so absorbed in watching her that he didn't realize until several moments later that their eyes were locked and a surprised, yet vaguely pained expression had replaced her grin. Her arm sank back down and she moved her other arm behind her chocobo's neck uncertainly. She broke the gaze and started to walk back toward the stables.

He was waiting rather awkwardly in the lobby when Yuffie finally appeared. The next race had already started, and he could hear the screaming and shouting coming from the stands. Several people were watching the race on the large TV overhead, and a few of them turned when they noticed Yuffie. Vincent grinned in amusement as she was swarmed by excited fans. She smiled over at him helplessly and pushed her way past the crowd. She rushed over to Vincent and took his hand, leading him out the exit and down the stairs.

Neither of them even spoke even as the doors to the lift closed and the train started moving. Yuffie paused for a moment, not releasing her grip on Vincent's hand. Finally, she turned and wrapped her arm around his waist, resting her head on his chest and closing her eyes. Vincent couldn't move for a moment, it had caught him by surprise and his back stiffened slightly in alarm. Yuffie melted against him happily, and after a few long moments he wound his arm around her thin shoulders. They didn't move until the doors opened and the few other people on the train had already filed off onto the Corel platform.


	78. Explanations

**Disclaimer: **I don't own FFVII.

**Seventy Eight**

-Explanations-

The sun was setting by the time Yuffie decided they had found a good spot to rest. She landed gracefully in the sand and took several steps forward. Holding Oritsuru's reins, she turned to glance back at the silent man waiting for her. He had hardly spoken since they finally left Corel. After watching Yuffie clear out the tent she'd been staying in, he had followed her back to get her chocobo. They were now rushing along the coastline, and he was fairly certain she had no idea where she was really taking him.

Yuffie sighed contentedly, closing her eyes as the salty ocean breeze danced through her hair. The dying sunlight sparkled on the waves, and the clear sky was streaked with pink and orange. When she didn't move for a long time, Vincent slid from the back of his own chocobo and walked over to her. A smile tugged at her lips, but when she gazed up at him he could see the sadness in her eyes.

"I'm sorry." She finally said, looking away again.

"For what?" Vincent asked hesitantly. Yuffie swayed slightly and shrugged.

"For running off. That was selfish…" She said quietly. Vincent stepped closed and hesitated, praying silently that she wouldn't start crying.

"It doesn't seem selfish to me…" He said lightly. She gazed up at him and tilted her head to the side.

"I understand you were hurt, I would have wanted to be alone, too." He murmured, letting his gaze slide down to the waves lapping against the sand several feet away. "It takes a lot of time to forget things that we find truly painful."

Yuffie straightened her back and looked up at the sky as stars began to appear overhead.

"I'm sorry I wasn't there to help you through it…" Vincent said softly, finally glancing over at her. Her eyes snapped back to his face and he could see a heavy sadness behind her gaze.

"No, Vincent, I didn't want you to see me like that. I didn't want anyone to see me like that…" She said, shaking her head. "I didn't mean to stay here, but well…"

He watched with interest as she turned and patter her black chocobo's neck. It warked affectionately and Yuffie smiled.

"I didn't have much money with me, but I couldn't resist when I ran across him. His owner couldn't tame him and was desperate to just get rid of him. I offered him all the gil I had, he said that was a bad deal and he could only accept half for such a wild chocobo. Riding him was pretty scary at first, he has boundless energy and it took me weeks to get him under control enough to start racing. It paid off in the end, though! I just wanted to race enough to get some extra money, but I just couldn't stop when I realized what an amazing racer he turned out to be!" Yuffie beamed up at her chocobo and it warked happily, ruffling its feathers and stomping a foot. Vincent eyed it carefully as his own chocobo started to get uneasy.

"It felt really good, after being rejected by my own country… It was something I really needed, and it took me a while to realize that." Her eyes softened and she smiled up at Vincent. He shifted awkwardly and wondered for a moment if coming here to find her was even a good idea. She seemed so happy. She was surviving just fine on her own, maybe she was better off without him in her life…

He jumped slightly when he felt her arms wind around him carefully. He stared down at her with wide eyes, and she nuzzled into his chest happily.

"I'm so happy you came to find me, Vincent." She said softly.

He felt something in his chest tighten, and placed his hands on her lower back gently. The sun had dipped below the horizon and he stared out at the glow as stars dotted the sky overhead. It was getting cold out, but he just couldn't bring himself to let go of her.

He wasn't sure what was wrong with him, but when she tried to lean back, he refused to release his grip on her. She was surprised at first, but then her lips turned up in a smile and she seemed to understand something he hadn't realized yet. Her hands were braced against his chest and she slowly brought them up to rest gently on the sides of his face. She brushed her thumb against his cheek and wound her fingers in his hair. A tremor went down his spine and his eyes slid closed. He bowed his head toward her and she wound her arms around his neck. He brought one hand up between her shoulder blades and tightened his other arm around her waist. Her face hovered centimeters from his, and he could feel her breath against his skin. He leaned down and kissed her slowly, smiling to himself when he felt the jolt go through her body. She tightened her arm around his neck and felt her face heat up with excitement. She almost couldn't contain the wave of happiness building up in her chest, and she pulled back and smiled up at him.

"I missed you, too." She mumbled quietly. He kissed her forehead before releasing his grip on her and taking a few steps back toward their chocobos. He turned to smile back and her, and she felt like her heart might explode.


	79. Getting In Fights

**Disclaimer: **I don't own FFVII.

**Seventy Nine**

-Getting in Fights-

Yuffie's pained shriek pierced through his chest like a knife. He winced and tightened his grip on her shoulder as she thrashed beneath him. He tossed the blood-soaked rag aside and fumbled with the bottle of water as he rushed to soak another cloth. Her rather shredded shirt slipped from his grip and she cried out again as the rough fabric brushed over the gashes along her back. He pulled it up again, hesitated for a moment, then gritted his teeth as he reached for one of her shuriken and cut through the back of her shirt. She didn't complain, and he exhaled wearily.

She twisted around, trying to look up at him as he held her down on the ground. Her fingers gripped handfuls of grass, tearing it from the earth as Vincent pressed the soaked rag to her back and another wave of pain struck her.

"How bad is it..?" Her voice wavered nervously and tears stung her eyes. He inhaled sharply, thinking quickly as blood began to seep through the new rag he was pressing to her back.

"It's not that bad…" He lied, trying to force his voice to sound light. Yuffie groaned and arched her back in pain. He held one hand protectively on her shoulder as he reached for an extra shirt. He had to release her to tear the shirt into strips, and Yuffie squirmed in agony. She tried to roll onto her side, and Vincent pushed her down again, forcing his voice to stay calm as blood started to run down her side onto the grass.

"Yuffie, please don't move…" He murmured quietly, grimacing as he lifted the rag to take another look at the deep gashes. He reached over and got another rag, pressing it down against her back before wrapping a makeshift bandage over it. He whispered a meek apology before winding an arm under her ribcage and lifting her enough to pull the bandage tight around her body. She screamed in pain again, and Vincent's hand snapped back anxiously.

"I'm sorry." He said quickly, feeling his heart pound violently in his chest. Yuffie let out a loud curse and pushed him off of her. Snatching away the strips, she wound several behind her back and tied them tightly around her chest. She was breathing heavily and Vincent sat back, wondering if she was upset with him or the fact that she had been caught off guard by a monster.

She leaned forward and bowed her head, taking several deep breaths before turning to look back at him. She couldn't remember ever seeing him so worried. The corner of her mouth lifted in a grim smile, and he tried to relax as she turned around to face him. She looked pale, and he reached out with shaky hands as she tried to climb to her feet.

"Yuffie, we need to get you to a hospital." He said quickly, jumping to his feet and grabbing her by the arm as she swayed. She leaned on him and winced in pain, digging her fingers into his shirt. Her legs were shaking and she could hardly stand up. Vincent grabbed her other arm, trying his best to guide her to the ground without touching her back.

"Yuffie?" He murmured softly, worry etched on his face. Her eyes focused on him for a moment, and she started to say something. All at once, her body went limp and he let out a curse. He picked her up carefully, resting her over his shoulder as he rushed back over to where the chocobos were waiting anxiously.


	80. Think About It

**Disclaimer: **I don't own FFVII.

**Eighty**

-Think About It-

"What the fuck do you mean 'we were caught off guard'?!" Cid shouted angrily. Vincent stared down at him coldly, his face blank. Cid didn't seem to care how threatening Vincent looked to every other person on the street. He shook his head and murmured a string of curses.

"She's just a kid, Vincent! I don't know what the fuck is goin' on between you two, but one thing I expect is for you to at least take care of her!" Cid's face was red with fury, and he was so close to Vincent he had to force himself not to wrinkle his nose at the cigarette smoke drifting up around him.

"I mean, for fuck's sake Vincent, how damn old are you?! Would it kill ya to pay attention to what's goin' on around you?! That girl follows you around like a damn puppy and you can't even make sure sumthin' doesn't try to eat her!"

Vincent didn't even move as the door slammed open and a very angry woman stomped out onto the sidewalk in front of the small clinic.

"Cid Highwind! Everyone in town can hear you!" Shera fumed, her hands resting on her hips dangerously. Cid's face paled and he fell silent.

Shera turned to Vincent with a sigh, letting her hands fall to her sides and offering him a small smile.

"None of this was your fault, Vincent. I think you did a wonderful job. There's no way you could have seen that monster coming, and I'm just thankful you were able to get her here so quickly!" She stepped forward and gave him a hug, unfazed by the fact that it was a lot like hugging a statue. "They're done now, you can go in and see her if you want." She added gently, gesturing toward the door. Vincent nodded abruptly and rushed through the door. He could hear Shera's angry voice behind him as the door clicked closed.

He leaned in the doorway to the room Yuffie was resting in. She was sitting up on the edge of the bed, dressed in clean clothes and looking considerably better than when he brought her here. When she noticed him standing there she smiled happily and bounced across the room to him.

He wound his arms around her carefully and she stood up on her tip-toes to give him a kiss. She leaned back and smiled again, gazing up into his eyes for a moment before she realized something was wrong.

"What's the matter? Was Cid bein' a grumpy old guy again?" She asked playfully, trying to cheer him up. He shook his head and let his arms slip down, holding her loosely as her smile faded. She was about to ask him what happened when a knock sounded at the door and a nurse leaned in with a smile.

"You're free to go anytime, Ms. Kisaragi!" She said cheerfully. Yuffie nodded and looked up at Vincent.

"Come on, Vince…" She said worriedly, staring up at him as he avoided her gaze. She took him by the hand and headed for the door.


	81. Regrets

**Disclaimer: **I don't own FFVII.

**Eighty One**

-Regrets-

Yuffie stomped her foot, growling in frustration. She walked in a tight circle, gesturing angrily before she was able to direct her rage at the surprised and rather distressed man standing in front of her.

"How could you say that to him! I'm not a little kid anymore, I don't need anyone watching over me!" She shouted.

Cid glanced over at his wife nervously. Shera tried to hide her amused grin behind the cup of tea in front of her lips, and he sighed heavily.

"I'm sorry, Yuffie, I really am… It was just… I rushed over as soon as he called me, and seein' you like that, all covered in blood and fadin' fast…" He mumbled, staring down at the floor. Yuffie rolled her eyes and threw herself down in the chair next to Shera. She sighed heavily and put her head in her hands.

"He was doing so well, it took him forever to give up feeling like he was responsible for Lucrecia's death… And then you had to go and tell him he could have gotten me killed! It was my idea to run off into the wilderness in the first place, and now he's gonna blame himself for what happened…" Yuffie sighed again and groaned miserably.

Shera's eyes softened in concern and she leaned over to put an arm around Yuffie's shoulders. Cid leaned against the wall with downcast eyes, crossing his arms and muttering a curse under his breath.

"He ran off again and left me here, he's not coming back now…" Yuffie murmured sadly, forcing back the tears. Shera started to get worked up and scooted her chair closer to the girl.

"Oh, Yuffie… I'm sure he'll come back. If he loves you he won't be able to stay away." She said soothingly. Cid's eyes shot up to the two women and Yuffie felt her face darken.

"He doesn't love me! He just… I mean we're…" She started to get flustered and tried to think of how to describe it. She groaned in frustration and let her forehead hit against the table. "I don't even know what to call it…"

Shera gave her husband a knowing smile, and Cid turned away, slamming a fist against the wall and muttering something dark. He put a cigarette to his lips and Shera gave him a sharp look.

"You'd better not be lighting that up in the house." She said softly. Cid nodded and waved a hand at her.

"Yea, yea… I know." He muttered before walking out the door and slamming it behind him.

Yuffie's shoulders started to tremble and Shera tried to sooth her worriedly.

"It'll be alright, Yuffie, just give him some time. He'll be back soon…" She said gently. Yuffie leaned on the older woman, and she smiled sadly to herself.


	82. Relief

**Disclaimer: **I don't own FFVII.

**Eighty Two**

-Relief-

Vincent sighed heavily when he heard the door open. It clicked closed and he already knew who it was. He didn't look up when the girl took a seat beside him, immediately ordering a drink. He gripped the glass rather tightly and quickly swallowed the contents. It took a few minutes for Yuffie to build up the courage to say something to him.

"I thought you left town…" She said softly. Vincent didn't respond, and she scooted a little bit closer.

The bartender set a glass down in front of her, and she picked it up carefully, wrinkling her nose before forcing herself to drink it. She got the feeling she was going to need it to get through the night.

"Cid told me he found you in here… He was pretty upset about what he said to you." She murmured. Vincent glanced over at her and she was caught for a moment in his heavy crimson eyes. Her lips parted slightly, and she tried quickly to think of what else she had meant to say to him.

"You thought I would leave you here?" He asked quietly. Yuffie stared up at him with round eyes, and the corner of his mouth lifted slightly in a small smile.

"Well, you left! I thought that meant…" She was flustered, and glowered at him when she heard the deep laughter resonate in his chest.

"I simply went to the bar for a drink. I wanted to collect my thoughts." He replied, his eyes smiling down at her. Yuffie couldn't help but smile back, relief flooding through her body at the realization of her mistake.

"So you don't feel like it was your fault that I got hurt?" She asked cautiously. His smile vanished, but he forced himself to keep eye contact with her.

"I should have done more to keep you safe, but we will be more careful in the future." He said slowly. Yuffie nodded and looked down at her empty glass, deciding she might as well order another drink.

The bartender eyed then carefully, wondering to himself if Yuffie was out of her mind hanging around such a dangerous looking man. He set the glass down in front of her and wandered away to keep an eye on then from a distance.

Yuffie noticed, and grinned to herself in amusement.

"Ya know, we could always get a restore materia just in case." She said quietly. Vincent nodded and she heard his deep laugh again.

She couldn't help but smile up at him, unable to believe this was the same man Avalanche had found in a coffin years ago. He had opened up so much, even just in the past few months. She couldn't believe he was not only letting her so close, but encouraging her now. He just kept surprising her...


	83. Hesitation

**Disclaimer: **I don't own FFVII.

**Note: **Oh no, kids don't look! Things get kinda dirty in this chapter! I'm thinking about changing the rating, but I guess we'll see…

**Eighty Three**

-Hesitation-

Bright light filtered in through the window, falling on Yuffie's skin and making it impossible to continue sleeping. She let her eyes slide open wearily, immediately putting a hand to her head and groaning in pain. She sat up slowly, trying to remember what the hell happened last night and how much she drank.

It was then that she realized she was naked. Well, not exactly naked, but she would have been if she hadn't been wearing Vincent's shirt. She stared down at herself in horror for a few minutes before realizing that Vincent himself was still asleep next to her. She jumped slightly when her eyes traced down the bare skin of his chest. He was still wearing his pants, but his headband was missing and his hair fell around his face haphazardly. It was such an incredible sight, she momentarily forgot how wrong it seemed.

He opened his eyes slowly and grimaced before he managed to gaze up at her. He sat up and looked around in slight confusion before his eyes fell on Yuffie, obviously naked beneath his shirt. His eyes widened in horror and the look on Yuffie's face nearly tore his heart out.

_Her shirt hit the floor before he had time to protest, and she climbed onto his lap. She kissed him fiercely as she undid the clasps on his cloak and let it slide down his shoulders to pool on the bed. She started pulling his shirt off when he reached up to stop her. He yanked it off quickly and threw it aside before wrapping an arm around the girl and tossing her back on the bed. He leaned over her, enjoying the feel of her fingertips trailing along his skin. He shuddered in excitement and felt a wave of heat rush through his body. _

"Oh my god what happened?!" She cried, holding her hands over her mouth in disbelief.

Broken memories came flooding back and she felt her face heat up in embarrassment. Vincent reached up in alarm, unsure of what to say but wanting to comfort her. Before he could touch her, Yuffie threw herself from the bed and ran to the bathroom, slamming the door behind her. Vincent cursed under his breath and put his head in his hands.

_He watched in amusement as she struggled out of her shorts, tossing them aside before wrapping her arms around his neck and pulling him back down. She pulled the headband from his hair and dropped it over the side of the bed. It seemed so strange seeing him without it, she stared up at him in awe for a few moments as she brushed her fingers through his hair. His eyes closed for a moment and a tremor went down his spine. She brought a leg up and pressed it to his side, enjoying the feel of his bare skin. _

Yuffie stared at herself in the mirror, her eyes tearing up as the memories came back. Her head was pounding and she felt her stomach tighten. Pulling Vincent's shirt off over her head, she could see several marks on her skin. Four thin lines of blood stood out on her hip, and she traced them curiously. She found four more on her back, and couldn't help the amused grin that broke through her tears.

Vincent leaned against the doorframe and tapped gently at the door. He could hear Yuffie moving around in the bathroom, and he wondered for a moment if it would just be better to leave her alone. To his surprise, she opened the door and stepped up in front of his, gazing up at him with wide, innocent eyes. He felt his chest tightened in shame, cursing himself internally. He wanted to turn and run, he couldn't stand looking at her like that. He couldn't even begin to handle the fury he felt toward himself. He never should have drank so much, he never should have let her drink so much either. They should have stayed in separate rooms, or he should have insisted she stay with Cid for the night. There were so many things he could have done to prevent something like this, and he couldn't understand why he hadn't even realized what might happen.

He was torn from his thoughts when he felt her press up against him, winding her arms around him and resting her forehead against the bare skin of his chest. His back stiffened, his hands flying up to rest on her hips in concern as he stared down at her.

_Her lips traced along his neck, drawing out a deep moan as he ran his hands along her skin. Her back arched beneath him, and he moved to catch her lips in his. Her tongue traced along his bottom lip, and when he opened his mouth he could still taste the alcohol. Something clicked in his mind, and he leaned back to stare down at her, his eyes barely focusing. She didn't notice his pause, and her fingers traced down his side and slipped into the hem of his pants. A jolt ran through his body and he inhaled sharply, grabbing her hand and pulling it back out. She looked up at him in confusion, and he pressed her hand against the bed. _

"_No." He said with a sad smile. She looked away, pouting slightly, but nodding. _

_She slipped from his grasp and grabbed the nearest article of clothing she could find, his shirt. He watched in amusement as she pulled it on and collapsed on the bed. After a few moments, he climbed in and pulled the blankets over her, wrapping an arm around her stomach and pulling her close. _

Vincent stared down at her when he heard a giggle. Yuffie's eyes seemed sad, but she was smiling anyway.

"I didn't know you were such a perv!" She whispered playfully, forcing herself to find the situation amusing. Vincent sighed, but kissed her forehead.

"You started it." He reminded her before walking away to find the rest of his clothing.


	84. Forget It

**Disclaimer: **I don't own FFVII.

**Eighty Four**

-Forget It-

She could barely look at him without blushing. It had been a long, painfully awkward morning, and Yuffie was ready for the day to be over. She lagged behind, watching Vincent up ahead of her as she rolled the memories through her head. It was infuriating. She couldn't remember the last time she was so embarrassed, and to make matters worse, Vincent remembered more about the previous night than she did… Whenever he looked at her, she could see the amused smirk at the corner of his mouth, and he'd turn away with a sly look in his eyes. At least someone found the incident rather funny, she sure didn't think it was so entertaining!

A blush lit up her cheeks again and she tightened her grip on the reins. Her chocobo warked softly, turning for a moment to gaze up at her as it felt the tension in her body. She patted Oritsuru's neck in reassurance and he hurried after Vincent.

There were several interesting questions now running through her mind, as much as she hated to think of the embarrassing, alcohol-induced incident.

She was torn from her thoughts when she realized Vincent was starting back at her with that look in his eyes. That evil, thoroughly entertained, you-are-such-a-dork look that just made her blood boil. She wanted to throw something at him, a book, a can of soup, a shuriken, anything. Anything to wipe that look off his face.

She just wanted to forget it even happened. But one thing kept tugging at the back of her mind. If he found it so entertaining, did that mean he was hoping it would happen again under better circumstances? A tremor went down her spine and her cheeks darkened. She tried to close her eyes and ward off the feelings building up inside her. When she finally glanced ahead again, Vincent was watching her with interest, and she ground her teeth together in irritation.


	85. Amusing

**Disclaimer: **I don't own FFVII.

**Eighty Five**

-Amusing-

She was embarrassed. _Severely _embarrassed. He loved that, he absolutely adored how upset she was over their little 'fling'. She was definitely Wutai's White Rose, and whenever he thought of how inexperienced and awkward she was, he had to fight back the laughter. For some reason, he had simply assumed Yuffie wasn't as pure as she was supposed to be. She was just so outgoing and energetic, he assumed she would have experimented at some point during her teenaged years.

Come to think of it, she really didn't have much reason to hold on to her purity any longer, since Wutai had rejected her. He couldn't help but glance back at her again, another small smile on his lips as the thought ran through his head again. He wasn't sure why, but he hadn't really thought about getting _intimate _with the girl. She'd always just seemed like the closest friend he had, and until now he had hardly considered the idea that they could be much closer.

Until now, the hugging had seemed like something born from a deep friendship. His hands rubbed along her back in comfort, not lust. He wasn't sure he could go back to that anymore, simply looking at the girl raised such inappropriate thoughts now. He hadn't really thought much of it when they kissed, it didn't seem like a big deal. It was just something they did because they cared about each other. It seemed so ridiculous now that he thought about it, of course friends don't kiss each other like that. A passionate, open-mouthed kiss in the shadows on the airship was much different than a quick peck on the cheek during a goodbye.

He wanted to smack a hand to his forehead in frustration. Everything had gotten so complicated all of the sudden, and yet the answer was so obvious he wanted to scream. He was absolutely, undeniably head-over heels in love with her. He couldn't ignore that anymore, and he couldn't ignore how much he really _wanted_ her. Thinking back, he couldn't even remember when their youthful friendship had turned into such a deep involvement with each other that neither of them even realized what was going on.

And so he eyed the young ninja with that look in his eye, hungry for her touch and shoving his own shame aside. He drew amusement from how embarrassed she was, and was eager to see if she would let him get that far again without the help of alcohol. Taking in the sharp glare she aimed at him, he could tell it was going to be a battle getting her to relax enough to let him show her what they could be.


	86. Doing It Right

**Disclaimer: **I don't own FFVII.

**Eighty Six**

-Doing It Right-

Yuffie looked up with round eyes as the shadow loomed over her. She dropped her water bottle and he rolled away through the grass, leaving a trail of water glittering in the bright afternoon sunshine. Her lips parted in confusion, and she felt her cheeks darken as she was forced to look up into his eyes.

Vincent had stepped right up beside her, and when she couldn't ignore how close he'd gotten anymore, she was forced to confront him. The look in his eyes almost made her jump. His heavy crimson gaze was filled with so much emotion, she could hardly begin to understand what was going on. She couldn't remember ever seeing that look before, and she self-consciously took a step back as he started to make her nervous.

It was then that he brought up his hand, and her eyes were stuck to the simple wildflower in complete shock. After a few moments, Yuffie forced her hand to move, and she took it from him gently. He seemed pleased, and smiled at her calmly before turning and walking back over to his chocobo.

Yuffie couldn't react for a long time. She stood there just staring down at the flower, trying to sort out her thoughts. What was he doing? He'd been acting so strange since their little drinking party had gotten out of hand…

She couldn't place why, but for some reason he just seemed so much more _human_ now…


	87. About Time

**Disclaimer: **I don't own FFVII.

Thanks for all the reviews! You guys are awesome readers!

**Eighty Seven**

-About Time-

Tifa watched with a dreamy look on her face, resting her chin in her hand as she leaned over the countertop. She sighed happily when the man took a seat beside her, turning in interest to follow her gaze across the room. Humming in amusement, Reeve turned to grin over at the martial artist and snapped her attention back.

"What did I miss and how long has that been going on?" He asked curiously. He glanced over at the couple hiding in the corner of the room together and could hardly believe what he was seeing.

"I don't know, they've been like that ever since they showed up here a few days ago. They stopped in for a visit, but they can't hardly tear their attention away from each other." Tifa beamed over at the man beside her, and he shook his head and grinned again.

"I had a feeling, but I didn't think they'd actually manage to get together." He said softly.

"Yea… I'm so happy for them." Tifa sighed peacefully.

On the other side of the room, Yuffie leaned forward in her chair, smiling almost uncontrollably. Vincent's hands were wound in hers, and she bowed her head every few minutes as he whispered something in her ear. She would then giggle quietly and either blush or whisper something back, and Vincent would smile. After a while, she leaned up and kissed him, pulling back to giggle again as he brushed his lips over her jaw.

Reeve was almost certain he was seeing things, and put a hand to his chin in thought as he tried to determine if that really was Vincent.

"Who knew he could be such a charmer?" Tifa grinned to herself and Reeve shook his head in disbelief.

"I tried to ask Yuffie about it, but she just said about two weeks ago he just turned on the charm and started acting like she was the only woman on the planet." She said quietly. Her eyes darted over when Cloud came down the stairs, and he grimaced when he saw the two huddled in the corner.

"They're still at it." He sighed and scowled at Vincent. "You'd think they were in high school, it's like neither of them has any idea what's going on." Reeve couldn't help but let out a laugh, and Tifa nodded and giggled.

"Well at least they're both finally happy." He said lightly. Cloud turned to gaze down at him, nodding slightly before taking a seat and trying to avoid watching the two in the corner.

"I know someone who could learn something here." Tifa said quietly before her and Reeve burst into laughter at the sight of Cloud's paling face.


	88. Just For Fun

**Disclaimer: **I don't own FFVII.

**Eighty Eight**

-Just For Fun-

"What's wrong?" Vincent asked with concern, staring down at the girl nestled in the soft grass beneath him. Her gaze drifted around the sky above him, tracing the edges of the clouds and avoiding his gaze for a moment as she collected her thoughts. She sighed gently, and he leaned back to rest on his elbow beside her. She reached her hands up into the air and twisted her fingers together innocently.

"Well, I just wondered… Why didn't you do it?" Her voice floated up to him gently, and he thought for a moment before his crimson eyes darted back down to her face questioningly.

"When we got totally smashed in Rocket Town… I mean, I was gonna let you do it, but you didn't…" She felt her face heat up, and covered her blush with her hands as she rolled to the side.

Vincent stared down at her in surprise for a moment before his gaze softened and the corner of his mouth lifted in a grin. He put a hand on her hips and leaned over, his breath dancing along the side of her neck.

"You were drunk, Yuffie." He said softly, his deep voice sending a shiver down her spine.

"Yea, but so where you… What made you wanna stop?" She mumbled from beneath her hands.

Vincent shook his head in amusement and pushed her down on her back, pulling her hands away from her face and placing a soft kiss to her lips.

"Because I wanted it to be something beautiful, not something we would regret the next morning alongside a hangover." He said simply. Yuffie nodded with a distant look in her eyes, then wound her arms around his neck.

"Well… We're sober right now." She whispered, giving him a sly look. A deep chuckle escaped his lips and he looked to the side for a moment.

"Yes, but we're in the middle of a field." He replied quietly. Yuffie pouted and looked around.

"There's not _that _many people…" She mumbled thoughtfully, noting the group of teenagers throwing a party closer to the beach. "I bet they won't mind." Her eyes lit up and Vincent shook his head. He rolled onto his back and looked over at their two chocobos grazing several feet away.


	89. Day Job

**Disclaimer: **I don't own FFVII.

**Eighty Nine**

-Day Job-

Vincent stared around the room in surprise, hardly noticing the girl bouncing in place in front of him. She was bursting with excitement, and he understood now why she'd been acting so strange for the past few days.

"You got an apartment?" He asked slowly, finally settling his gaze on the young ninja. She grinned up at him, and he closed his eyes for a moment in consideration.

"Yea! Don't you like it? I just figured sometimes it would be nice to have a home to go back to, ya know?" He stared down at her hopeful eyes and sighed gently.

"After a month of racing you earned enough to afford this?" He asked, gazing around the room again.

It was a pretty impressive apartment, considering Yuffie had gotten it on her own. The living room had a tall ceiling, and most of one wall was all windows. The kitchen connected to the living room, and a staircase lead to a walkway up above with two bedrooms and a bathroom. It was fairly simple, with lots of exposed metal beams and paneling, but it was her new home. There wasn't very much furniture yet, but she had put up a lot of Wutain art. He noted with amusement that she had gotten a TV at some point and set it on the kitchen table.

His gaze fell back on Yuffie, and she put her hands behind her back innocently as she smiled up at him. After a few moments, he finally shook his head and let a small smile slip through. It would be nice to actually have a home…

"How did you have time to set this up?" He finally asked, glancing over at her as he walked to the bottom of the stairs. She stepped forward gracefully and bit her lip, pausing to flash him another smile.

"You know all those times me and Tifa abandoned you with Cloud so we could have 'girl time'?" She asked with an innocent smile. Vincent nodded distantly and looked around again.

"Hm… I see." He eyed her for a moment before climbing the stairs and running a hand over the railing, gazing out over the living room. Yuffie ran after him and dashed into the closest room. He leaned in the doorway to watch her as she poked around, shuffling things around before smiling up at him happily.

"This is my room!" She was so excited, he could hardly believe it.

She had put up some Wutain wall hangings and there was a bed in the corner under the wide window. It wasn't much of a view, but the sunlight came straight in. She had put black sheets on the bed and there was a thick white comforter folded up on the end. There was clothing scattered around on the floor, and most of it still had price tags attached. The closet was open, and several cardboard boxes sat just inside of it. She seemed to get a little self-conscious when she realized he was closely examining her bedroom, and she pushed him back out into the hall.

"Come on, I barely even moved in… I'm gonna get a dresser eventually…" She mumbled, guiding him down the hall past the bathroom. He stopped in the doorway to the second room and stared inside awkwardly. He glanced down at her, but she only smiled.

This room was considerably more bare, but she had bothered to at least put a bed in it for him. He took a few steps inside and ran his fingers over the black bed sheets, smiling in amusement as he felt the crimson comforter she had folded up and set there for him. He turned slowly to look back at her, and she shifted from foot to foot nervously.

"Do you like it?" She asked with a hopeful smile.

He reached out and took her hand, pulling her close and winding his arms around her gently. She rested her cheek on his chest and wrapped her arms around his waist, forcing herself to hold back an outburst of excitement.

"I was so worried you were gonna hate it… I know how you like being alone and all, but we're always visiting anyway so I just thought, you know…" She started to gush worriedly before he tipped her chin up and placed a soft kiss to her lips. Her eyes drifted closed for a moment and she sighed happily.

"It's wonderful, Yuffie." He said softly. She smiled again and blushed lightly.

"But, you know, I wanna keep racing, so sometimes we're gonna have to…" He cut her off with another kiss and she gave up, relaxing against him blissfully.


	90. Denial

**Disclaimer: **I don't own FFVII.

_Note: _I had a very bad day. Very bad. It was so awesome to log on today and see that I had over 200 reviews! So here's chapter 90. There's going to be 100 chapters, maybe a side story if you want it. Anyway, we're almost done! It's very exciting, I always get so worked up when I finish a story...

**Ninety**

-Denial-

His fingers tapped quietly against the bare metal beam as he leaned in the window. His breath beat gently against the glass, and he gazed down at the people bustling down the city streets. Living here didn't bother him as much as he assumed it would. He was starting to enjoy the new life he'd chosen; taking walks at night and stargazing from the half-finished skeletons of buildings, lounging around the living room with a book as Yuffie rushed back and forth turning the apartment into a proper home. He supposed the most surprising part was that being so close to Yuffie for so long only made him feel like he needed her more.

His back stiffened in surprise as two thin arms wound around his chest and Yuffie pressed up against his back. He relaxed into her grip with a faint smile and wrapped his fingers loosely into hers. She sighed happily and closed her eyes, enjoying the moment of relaxation. He let her hug him for several long minutes before he broke the silence.

"Do you ever plan to return to Wutai?" He asked carefully, his voice low as he stared out the window. He felt her body momentarily tense up, then she relaxed and her arms loosened as she moved in front of him. She gazed up at him sadly, sighing gently as she tried to think of what to say.

"I don't see any reason to…" She said quietly. "They chose my cousin because he's a _man_. I guess I could challenge him if I wanted to, but what's the point? That town's goin' to shit anyway. The only difference is now_ I_ won't be held responsible!" Her voice lowered and she avoided Vincent's heavy gaze.

"They're all about tradition, but they obviously prefer a tourist trap to a town with some actual dignity! They can all just go to hell…" She mumbled darkly and rested her head against his chest, closing her eyes sadly as she heard him sigh.

"When you're ready, I'll be there to help you. I know you could change Wutai if you had the motivation…" He said gently, kissing her forehead as she scowled into his chest.


	91. Wonderful

**Disclaimer: **I don't own FFVII.

**Ninety One**

-Wonderful-

Yuffie groaned softly, glaring up at the sky through the window. The sun peeked over the skyline and warmed her skin, forcing her out of her peaceful sleep. She cringed as she brought a hand up to brush her hair from her face, distracted for a moment as she wondered if it was time to get it cut.

The arm around her waist tightened and she felt warm breath run down the back of her neck. A tremor ran down her spine and she twisted in his grip to press up against his bare chest.

_His fingers brushed gently along her skin, dipping under the hem of her shirt experimentally as she blushed and forced her hands to stop shaking. Her fingers wound into his hair, distracting him from her shirt as she pulled him down for a desperate kiss. He paused once again to ask if she was sure, and she started to get irritated with herself. She was ready, but for some reason she couldn't stop shaking. It was almost like she was freezing to death, even as her skin burned with excitement. _

His eyes slid open and he gazed down at her for a moment before a smile tugged at his lips and he pulled her close. She inhaled sharply at the sensation of skin against skin, and he kissed her lightly as she tried to convince her heart to stop pounding. He reached up with his other hand to cradle the side of her face, and he brushed his thumb against her cheek affectionately when he noticed her light blush.

"Are you alright?" He asked softly. She giggled softly and shook her head.

"I can't believe that happened. That was… wow." She sighed happily and he smiled.

"Does it hurt?" She felt her blush darken at the look in his eyes.

"Are you kidding? I can hardly move." She whispered. His eyes widened slightly in concern, and she tightened her arms around her chest self-consciously as he glanced down at her exposed skin.

_Her back arched and she hissed in pain as his claw ran down her hips, leaving thin lines of blood seeping through her skin. He stared down at it in horror, his eyes wide as he glanced back up into her eyes and started to apologize. Her lips crashed down against his, knocking him backward in surprise and nearly sending both of them toppling onto the floor. She forced his mouth open and he wound his arms around her as he rolled her over and pressed her down against the soft white comforter. _

She let out a laugh and he stared down at her in confusion.

"Look what you did!" She scooted back and lifted her arm, tracing a finger along the four thin lines of blood on her hip.

He gazed down thoughtfully, brushing his fingers against her skin before sitting up and pressing a gentle kiss to her hip. She inhaled and held her breath, closing her eyes and enjoying the warmth as he pulled her close again.

"No regrets, right?" She asked curiously. He gave her a strange look and grinned, choosing not to reply.


	92. Bonding

**Disclaimer: **I don't own FFVII.

**Ninety Two**

-Bonding-

Tifa cringed as the large blue chocobo tripped and fell against the smaller green chocobo beside it. They tumbled over each other for several meters before coming to a stop, and another chocobo plowed into them with a surprised wark. Cloud grinned in amusement and Vincent shook his head. Yuffie paused momentarily as she gazed back at the chocobo pile-up, then shrugged and urged Oritsuru on towards the finish line. He dashed forward in excitement, and Yuffie followed his rather wild movements expertly. He skidded to a stop way past the finish line, and ran in a tight, excited circle for a moment before coming to a stop and warking happily. Yuffie slid from his back and waved a hand at the screaming crowd, smiling to herself as she soaked in the cheers.

"Yes!" Tifa shouted happily, throwing her arms around Cloud and hugging him excitedly. She kissed his cheek and waved down at their friend still standing on the racetrack.

Yuffie waved again as she lead Oritsuru off the track, and Vincent moved away from the window for her to appear in the lobby. She would have an hour before her next race.

The crowd waiting for her in the lobby seemed to grow after each race, and she rushed past them hurriedly to wind her arms around Vincent's waist. She looked back in surprise as someone started taking pictures, and she could hear people asking questions over the cheering fans.

Tifa and Cloud watched from their place at the window, a safe distance away as Yuffie and Vincent retreated toward the exit.

"Wow, I had no idea she was so popular. I guess people just can't resist a pretty girl that's got a knack for chocobo racing!" She smiled up at Cloud, and he shrugged.

"Maybe leaving Wutai wasn't such a bad thing. Can you really see her sitting still long enough to keep track of everything?" He replied with an amused smile. Tifa giggled quietly and shook her head.

"No, she's going to be too young for that when she's thirty…" She said thoughtfully. "But then again, I never imagined there would be a day when Vincent would start to lead a normal life."

She smiled to herself and started to walk away when Cloud reached out and grabbed her wrist. She stared up in surprise as he hugged her, then let go and put an arm around her shoulders.

"We'd better hurry if we want dinner, Yuffie has to be back soon." He said quickly, defensively changing the subject even as he lead her toward the stairs.


	93. Settling

**Disclaimer: **I don't own FFVII.

**Ninety Three**

-Settling-

She paused for a moment, turning slightly to glance back down the alley. The sound stopped abruptly and she felt a shiver go down her spine. Rain fell gently around her, drowning out any other sounds as she tried to force her ears to hear the sound again. Nothing, just the gentle grumble of distant thunder and the meows of a cat that found itself stuck outside. Yuffie turned back to the alley ahead of her and hugged her arms around herself. She knew it was a bad idea to take these deserted back alleys to get home, even if it did cut half an hour from her trip.

She turned a corner and stopped so suddenly she almost tripped. Staring ahead with wide eyes, she was absolutely sure she had seen something dart behind the dumpster up ahead. She inhaled slowly and held her breath, glancing around cautiously as she took a step back and kept her eyes locked on the dumpster. Excitement bubbled up in her chest and she couldn't help but grin to herself as she backed around the corner and hurried down another alley.

She heard the sound again and felt a shiver go down her spine. Taking a moment to glance around her, she traced her eyes up the buildings around her. Some were still unfinished, and scaffolding extended up into the sky. Huge steel beams reached across the expanse between buildings, blocking out the storm clouds overhead as the thunder drew closer and she noticed a distant flash of lightening.

She jumped and let out a gentle gasp of surprise as a thud sounded behind her. Spinning sharply, her eyes traced the shadowed form now watching her from the end of the alley. Yuffie watched carefully as her body relaxed and she grinned at him in challenge. Time seemed to slow down and the few seconds she spent staring him down stretched into minutes. Another flash of lighting lit up part of the sky, and as the thunder echoed around them she took off back down the alley.

Vincent tried to sound irritated when he sighed, but couldn't help the feeling of excitement as he took off after her.

She glanced back, her grin widening as she noticed him catching up to her. He was getting better, his footsteps weren't so loud anymore and he was learning to pay more attention to his surroundings. It was getting harder for her to notice him following her.

Yuffie turned a corner and let out a startled cry as she realized it was a dead end. Vincent drew up behind her and she felt his fingertips brush her ankle as she leapt up and grabbed a fire escape, swinging herself up and dashing up the ladder. She let out another shriek of surprise as Vincent leapt over the railing in front of her, crouching there for a moment as she clamped her hands over her mouth and spun around. She braced one foot on the rail and jumped across the alley to an exposed beam, scrambling to catch herself as her fingers slipped along the wet surface.

Another flash lit up in the distance and she glanced back in time to see Vincent land gracefully above her. She scowled slightly at the smug look on his face before rolling to her feet and running back down the beam. She leapt for another beam and caught it, pulling herself up and trying to shake the rain from her hair as it got in her eyes. She huffed slightly and crouched for a moment, realizing she had no idea where Vincent was. She rushed down the beam towards another building, readying herself for a leap toward the unfinished fire escape. Her feet had hardly left the steel beam when she let out another shriek. Vincent caught her easily, letting himself fall back against the harsh metal of the railing. Yuffie laughed for a moment before winding her arms around his neck and letting herself relax against him. He brushed his lips over her forehead and she heard him let out a happy sigh.

"You were late." He said quietly. Yuffie grinned again and looked up at him innocently.

"I was almost home, you really don't have to come out and track me down every time I'm late…" She said sweetly, brushing the rain from his face affectionately.


	94. Bored

**Disclaimer: **I don't own FFVII.

**Ninety Four**

-Bored-

Yuffie shot up from her place on the couch, glancing back at the door hopefully as it swung open. Tifa slid into the room quietly and the door clicked shut behind her. Yuffie couldn't help the feeling of disappointment, and let herself fall back into the couch with a heavy sigh.

"Hey…" Tifa said softly, sitting carefully on the edge of the couch as she gently placed a hand on Yuffie's back. She looked up at the older woman gratefully, trying to force out a smile.

"I'm sorry, I'm sure he'll be back soon." Tifa tried to reassure her, but Yuffie squeezed her eyes shut miserably.

"What are you so worried about? He said it would only be a few days, it's not like he said you two needed time apart!" Tifa forced out a rather uncomfortable giggle, and Yuffie sighed again.

"He didn't say it, but what if that's what he meant..?" She replied coldly, eyeing the older woman for a moment. Tifa rolled her eyes and huffed.

"He's bored here, can you really blame him? He sits around and waits for you to get home. The only time he really gets out is when you two come over to the bar!" This time she really did giggle, and Yuffie felt herself smile.

"He's not used to such a normal life, just give him some time. Trust me, he'll be back before the end of the week." She brushed her fingers through Yuffie's hair.

"But he wouldn't even tell me where he was going…" Yuffie said sadly.

Tifa sighed and stood up. She put her hands on her hips and sighed down at the girl.

"Come on, you can help me shop for Marlene's birthday party. It'll cheer you up, and maybe Vincent will be home tonight!" She said with a smile.

Yuffie groaned and rolled off the couch. She stretched for a moment before wandering up to her room to get dressed.

Half an hour later she was trying to follow Tifa and ignore the fact that she was walking suspiciously close to Cloud. They would pause every once in a while to look in a shop window, and Yuffie would have to walk up beside them or risk having attention drawn to the fact that she was lagging behind. She wasn't really sure what they were shopping for, they had already gotten all the food needed for the party and as far as she could tell, Marlene was getting entirely too many presents. She was pretty sure Tifa was using a group shopping trip as a cover for a date with Cloud. It wouldn't have bothered her if she knew Vincent was waiting back home for her, but seeing the two of them so happy together was starting to hurt. She didn't even know where Vincent was, he'd just told her he'd be back soon and left…

She looked up just in time to see Cloud lean in a little too close, and there was a shy smile on Tifa's face. Cloud's hand wound around her lower back and the corner of his mouth turned up in a mischievous smile.

"Hey! You know what would be fun?! Let's go back to the bar! I'm really starved, and this place smells like sweaty old people anyway!" Yuffie said loudly, wrapping an arm around Tifa's shoulders and grinning innocently as the sharp glare Cloud flashed her way. Tifa laughed and nodded, winding her arm around Yuffie's waist and enthusiastically leading her down the street.

"I agree! We've been walking so long I can't feel my feet!" She said playfully, glancing over her shoulder and giggling at the irritated look on Cloud's face.

"We can have a margarita party while we decorate for tomorrow!" Yuffie chirped, smiling sweetly as Cloud drew up beside Tifa. She still found it entertaining that she could annoy the hell out of him, but dark and morbid Vincent had no problem with her anymore.


	95. Oh

**Disclaimer: **I don't own FFVII.

**Ninety Five**

-Oh-

"Yuffie, what are you doing?"

She stopped so abruptly the contents of her glass splashed over the sides. The frosty liquid soaked into her shorts and ran down her leg, but she hardly noticed as she stared across the room in embarrassed shock. Her arms slowly lowered self-consciously and a meek smile tugged at her lips. She slowly leaned down to set her nearly empty glass on the countertop, then hopped rather gracelessly to the floor as Tifa burst into laughter. Even Cloud was smiling at that point, and she felt herself blush as Reeve's deep chuckle echoed across the room to her.

"I, uh… Didn't know when you were coming home, so I was trying to entertain myself…" She said quietly as she slowly walked over and tried to look innocent.

Vincent gazed around the room in awed silence, unsure of what to say as his eyes traced over the half-finished decorations and the blender sitting on the table in front of Tifa. The contents of Yuffie's glass were splashed across the counter, and Tifa was holding her breath trying to calm her laughter. The only sound came from the old cartoons playing on the TV, and for several long moments everyone just stared around the room at each other.

"Looks like a party." Reeve cleared his throat and tried to break the awkward silence. Tifa smiled warmly at him and held up another glass.

"Margarita?" She asked sweetly.

He glanced over in time to see Vincent wind an uncertain arm around Yuffie as she blushed. Nodding quickly, he crossed the room and took a seat beside the woman as she started emptying the blender into several glasses.

"Why were you dancing on the counter?" Vincent asked carefully as she started to pull him toward the table next to Cloud.

"So where'd you go?" She asked quickly, smiling happily at him. He eyed her for a moment before taking a seat and accepting the glass Tifa was nearly forcing into his hand.

"I didn't mean to steal him from you, Yuffie. I asked him to come in and help out with training the new volunteers. It seems like those kids get younger every year, but at least they want to help out…" Reeve cut in quickly and offered the girl an apologetic smile. Yuffie pouted slightly and glared back at him.

"Why didn't you tell me where you were going then?" Yuffie whined slightly, looking up at Vincent with hurt eyes. A small smile lifted the corner of his mouth.

"I left a note for you the morning I left. I put it on your pillow." He said gently. Yuffie felt herself blush.

"Aww, Yuffie's been sleeping in your room since you left, Vincent." Tifa let out an amused giggle as Yuffie glared darkly at her. "She just missed you so much!" She added and Yuffie made a wild grab across the table for her. Vincent tightened his grip and ignored the mumbled curses aimed at Tifa.

"I missed you, too." Vincent said lightly, pausing to take a sip from the glass Tifa had handed him. Yuffie sunk down in her chair and tried to hide her face in his cloak as Reeve let out a laugh.


	96. Old Habits

**Disclaimer: **I don't own FFVII.

**Ninety Six**

-Old Habits-

Yuffie let out a happy sigh, clasping her hands together as she put her arms over her head and stretched. She turned in time to see Vincent look away with the smallest hint of a grin. Relaxing again, she walked over to him purposefully and bent down to force him to look at her.

"You sure you don't wanna go for a swim?" She asked teasingly. She pouted playfully at him and arched her back as she leaned up against him. He turned to gaze up into her eyes, letting his hair fall around his face to try and keep some dignity intact.

"Okay, but you're missing out. The water feels great!" She stood up and turned, making sure he couldn't tear his eyes away from her as she walked back toward the water.

She'd been hoping her new bikini would get a reaction out of him, but this was much better than she'd hoped. They'd been together for months, but he still found it uncomfortable whenever she was lacking clothing. She loved how embarrassed he was. There was no one around for miles, but he kept acting like the rest of Avalanche could show up at any moment. She was getting such a kick out of tormenting him, she'd spent more time hovering near him or crawling into his lap than she had in the water.

Glancing back and smiling mischievously, she pranced several steps into the water, sending it splashing up around her as another wave rolled in. She took a moment to run her fingers through the sparkling water as it rushed past her, then she walked several steps further. She took a deep breath, then plunged in.

She swam out for a few moments, then when she couldn't touch bottom anymore she turned to see if Vincent was still watching her. It took her a moment to register that he wasn't sitting on the beach anymore. His cloak was sitting there in a heap, alongside his boots and what she could only assume was his shirt. Yuffie glanced around worriedly for a moment, trying to remember if she had ever even seen him swim before.

She jumped sharply when she felt his fingers wind around her waist. His fingertips brushed gently against her exposed skin, and his breath felt like ice across the water on the side of her neck. She turned around and smiled happily at him. His deep crimson eyes glittered in the sunlight, and his usually messy hair was weighed down with water.

She felt like there were butterflies in her stomach as he pulled her closer, and his skin seemed unusually warm as she pressed up against him.

"I love these vacations…" Yuffie breathed softly, unable to hide the pink glow on her cheeks as his lips brushed against her jaw.


	97. Strange

**Disclaimer: **I don't own FFVII.

**Ninety Seven**

-Strange-

Yuffie had barely made it through the doorway before throwing her bag on the floor and letting out an irritated groan. She let herself fall onto her bed and closed her eyes.

Vincent stood just inside the door for several minutes. He'd gotten the impression something was wrong today, but she had barely spoken to him since the end of her last race. She'd been uncomfortably quiet, and somehow the day seemed empty and miserable without her constant chatter. It made him nervous, almost like any moment now she was going to tell him to leave her alone.

"What's the matter?" The side of the bed dipped down as Vincent sat beside her, and she rolled over to stare up at him.

"It's just so damn _boring_." She sighed heavily and wound her fingers into the fabric of his shirt.

"I used to really love it, it took my mind off all the crap in my life I couldn't handle. But now it's just so easy to win, it's boring. It's no fun anymore."

Vincent nodded in understanding. He had wondered lately if she was going to get bored, considering her chocobo was unmatched. She could win the S class races without any effort, and half the time she didn't even bother waving at the crowd anymore.

"But I can't just sit around, I need something to do. Like a job. Do you think I could get Tifa to open the bar full time and hire me?" She grinned at the idea and watched as Vincent closed his eyes and paled slightly at the thought of her working in a bar.

"You should talk to Reeve. He would love to find a job for you." He said quickly, before she could convince herself that working at Tifa's bar would be fun.

"Hey, that's a good idea… What's he up to right now?" She gazed up at him hopefully, and he finally gave in and handed her his phone.


	98. Working Girl

**Disclaimer: **I don't own FFVII.

**Ninety Eight**

-Working Girl-

Yuffie paused to wipe the back of her hand across her forehead. The shade of the tent didn't offer much relief from the sun, but it was better than standing outside. The air was heavy and dry, and she smiled as another warm breeze blew fresh air through the camp. Leaning back over the crate, she finished comparing the lists and turned to the boy waiting patiently beside her.

He didn't seem too excited about heading back into the sun, but smiled politely to her anyway as she handed him the lists.

"Your recruits seem disheartened." Vincent said softly from his hiding place between two crates. Yuffie flashed him a dirty look and stuck her tongue out.

"I don't blame them, it's like a million degrees out here." She replied, crouching down in front of him. She noted with amusement that he had long since abandoned his cloak and changed from his usual long sleeved shirt into a tank top. For some reason he had refused to change his boots, and watching him sit there in only slight discomfort made Yuffie want to scream.

"You know, you really didn't have to tag along. We're just dropping off supplies, and we're leaving tomorrow anyway." She said softly.

"Someone had to protect those kids from you." He said teasingly, and Yuffie glowered at him before standing up and digging around for a bottle of water.

"Barret should be around here somewhere. Wanna say hi with me?" She asked, glancing back to catch the blank look on Vincent's face. She nodded and slowly turned back around, hiding her grin as she tried to imagine him fighting off heatstroke with the rest of her WRO team.

The moment she stepped out of the tent, a rush of heat hit her and her arm shot up to block the glare of the sun. She let out a disgusted groan and forced herself to step forward. Sweat was already forming on her skin, and she paused next to several kids as they lifted some crates onto the back of a local truck. She smiled at them grimly as she noted that they had nearly shredded their uniforms trying to keep cool. Most of them had stripped down to their tank tops, and as she watched several of them started passing around cups of water.

She couldn't help but smile. It was a gritty, stressful job, and she'd been needing something like this for a long time. She loved it. Most of these kids were younger than her by several years, but after spending the past few years watching their planet slowly die they had all stepped up to try and help. It wasn't exactly Avalanche, but she was glad to be part of the movement they had started.


	99. Ideas

**Disclaimer: **I don't own FFVII.

_Note: This story was supposed to end next chapter at an even 100, but I keep getting ideas and crap… I realized the plan I was going with left big random holes in the story that didn't even fit with the drabbles! But then I watched a whole lot of Mighty Boosh, and now the world makes sense to me and I can write again. So here's a little intermission bit._

**Ninety Nine**

-Ideas-

Reeve stared over at the man with wide, somewhat confused eyes. He tilted his head after a moment when Vincent failed to respond, and after a while he finally turned to see Tifa hiding a smile with her fingertips over her mouth.

"I thought she would enjoy it, I'm sorry if I missed something…" Reeve muttered, finally turning back to see Vincent looking away again. Tifa just shook her head and snickered softly to herself.

"I thought it was a great idea, Reeve. Maybe it'll kick some sense into her." She flashed Vincent a sly smile when he glared sharply at her.

"It's too soon. She still won't talk about it, even with me." Vincent said harshly. Tifa just rolled her eyes and put a hand on her hip defiantly.

"Avoiding something that important isn't healthy, she needs to just face it. She's tough, she can handle it Vincent. I know you're worried, but you can't protect her from _everything_." She offered him a reassuring smile, but he sighed heavily and turned on her.

"It's not Yuffie I'm worried about. It's her temper. What if something happens? It's hard enough to get Wutai to trust the rest of the world, even after the collapse of Shin-ra." He said in a hushed voice.

Tifa glanced over to Reeve and forced a smile. "I'm sure she'd behave herself if she ran into anyone important…" She said lightly. Reeve couldn't help but smile to himself, and Vincent got up and walked away.


	100. At Last

**Disclaimer: **I don't own FFVII.

_Note: I'm too busy dancing to proofread this, so I hope it's alright._

**One Hundred**

-At Last-

"Yuffie…" Vincent groaned. It felt awkward, but the situation really called for it. She didn't seem to think it was out of place anyway, she just flashed him that look again and started to stomp away.

His hand shot out and his fingers tightened around her upper arm, forcing her to hold still as he leaned down in front of her. His eyes scanned her face in concern, and she tried to avoid the harsh disapproval in his eyes.

"What happened?" Vincent asked sharply as a line of blood started to seep down from her nose again. She pressed the rag against it before he could get a second look at her split lip and just shook her head.

"Nuffing…" She mumbled behind the rag as she rolled her eyes and tried to break free. He didn't let her go, and grimaced slightly as he brushed her hair to the side and saw the bruise forming around her left eye. There was a small cut on her eyebrow, but despite the slight swelling she still managed to glower at him as she fought to get to the ice tray in the freezer.

"Yuffie, you're a mess…" He mumbled sadly, pulling her into a loose hug. She wiggled out of his grip and limped across the room to the kitchen.

"Yea, you should see the other guy." She growled sarcastically, using the blood soaked washcloth to gesture back toward the door. Reeve sighed gently and the corner of his mouth lifted in a sheepish grin. "Reeve'll tell ya all about it, he laughed his damn ass off."

"Yuffie got in a fight." Reeve said softly, letting out a chuckle as Vincent gave him an unamused glare. He took a moment to clear his throat and try to look serious as he stepped further into the room.

"She happened to find herself in a bit of a fight with the nephew of our dear late Godo Kisaragi." Reeve said softly. "Though I'm afraid he happens to be the current Ruler of Wutai. For now. Apparently that was called into question when your lovely young ninja here decided to teach him a lesson in manners."

Vincent's somewhat angry expression melted into shock, and he turned silently to stare back at Yuffie as she pressed ice to the side of her face and acted like she hadn't heard him.

"Don't be mad, Vincent, she really had a good reason." Reeve tried to defend her as Vincent sighed heavily.

"I'm not mad, it's just…" He took a deep breath and ran a hand through his hair.

"Is she in trouble?" He finally asked. Yuffie grinned and let out a quick laugh, before groaning in pain when her lip started bleeding again. Reeve just smiled and shook his head.

"Well, not really. Though the council really didn't seem to appreciate their new ruler's comments on their previous Lord." Reeve said softly.

"He called my dad a drunk Shin-ra lover that was obsessed with tourism and useless materia!" Yuffie blurted out.

"Not in so many words, Yuffie…" Reeve said quickly.

"Yea, he just threw in a bunch of really long words to make it sound fancy." She snorted.

"I thought you were just dropping off supplies, how did this happen?" Vincent asked quickly. Yuffie shrugged and crossed her arms.

"Well, originally she went in to take supplies to the WRO members that are working on construction to add houses on the outskirts of town. But while they were unloading the new Lord Kisaragi decided to go ahead and pay a visit. I guess he had decided to reject help from the WRO without actually talking to us first. We tried to sit down and reason with him, but he seemed really excited to tell Yuffie all the reasons why we didn't belong there." Reeve said with a small smile.

"He kept telling us Wutai doesn't need help, Wutai can take care of itself without 'Shin-ra in disguise' trying to run the place behind their backs. Then he said my father was an idiot if he really thought Wutai needed tourism to get back on its feet. He said the tourism is what was killing Wutai to begin with, watering down the population and murdering our traditions. So I hit him." Yuffie said quickly, grinning proudly at the two men as they stared at her.

"Well, she punched him." Reeve cut in before Yuffie could get into detail about the fight. "And it could have ended there with us packing up and leaving, but he decided to go ahead and hit her back. I looked to see those two rolling across the floor like a pair of rabid animals." Reeve moved over to clap Yuffie on the back and shake his head.

"And she's not in trouble?" Vincent asked quietly.

"Nope!" Yuffie chirped. Vincent stared at her suspiciously for a moment and she shifted back and forth under his gaze.

"Okay… So they want to talk to me about it tomorrow." She said softly. "I'm supposed to go in so they can talk to me in private."

"That's alarming." Vincent narrowed his eyes at her, and she felt herself blush.

"Well it doesn't sound bad, if they wanted to toss my ass in jail they would have…" Yuffie grumbled quietly. She started to wander up to her room, and Reeve turned to Vincent and sighed.

"It _was_ pretty funny." Reeve was still grinning. "I mean, they're not _that _organized over there, and honestly, the council doesn't seem too fond of their new lord. He's kind of a brat."

"But she attacked the Lord of Wutai! You don't think that would go over badly?" Vincent asked sharply, unable to believe the two of them were so relaxed about something so serious.

"Vincent, they want her to fight him in the Pagoda tomorrow." Reeve said gently.


	101. Mixed Feelings

**Disclaimer: **I don't own FFVII.

_Sorry for the wait... I'll get out as many chapters as I can until next week, but then I'm leaving for South Carolina so this story will be on hold until August._

**One Hundred and One**

-Mixed Feelings-

Yuffie refused to look up, and it felt like a rock had lodged itself in her throat as the footsteps got closer. They stopped several feet away, and she felt a small smile at her lips when Vincent's arm tightened protectively around her shoulders.

"How is she?" Reeve's voice drifted gently to her ears, and her eyes slid open to stare over at his feet. There was someone standing beside him, but she didn't recognize his shoes and had no interest in making eye contact.

"Tired and bleeding." Vincent bit back harshly, and she could hear Reeve sigh.

She knew the council was waiting to talk to her. They wanted to make it look like this whole thing was her idea, and the sooner they got her cousin out of the palace the better. They could wait. She hadn't forgotten that the council had rejected her, and if they were so desperate to have her back, it would be on _her_ terms.

"You did very well, Yuffie." Reeve said carefully as he stepped closer and kneeled down in front of her. She turned her weary but defiant gaze on him, and she knew from the look in his eyes that Vincent was giving him the same glare.

"Lady Kisaragi, the council would be honored if you would join them." The man lingered behind Reeve, and as she looked up to turn her glare on him, she noticed the weary look he was giving Vincent.

"I'm sure they would be…" She said with a grin. There was a long silence as everyone stared at her, and she leaned her head on Vincent's shoulder calmly.

"Yuffie, I don't want you to feel like you don't have a choice, but unless you accept the council's proposal, the WRO can't help Wutai." Reeve said gently. Vincent turned and wound his fingers into her hair. He placed a reassuring kiss to her forehead, and she gazed up at the man waiting uncomfortably behind Reeve.

She sighed in irritation, then climbed to her feet and gazed down at Vincent. He followed her lead, and she gestured for the man to take them to the council. He paused uncertainly, glancing between her and Vincent, then opened his mouth nervously to protest.

"He's my bodyguard and I'm not going anywhere without him." Yuffie said forcefully. The man bowed apologetically, and when she glanced over she could see Reeve forcing back a laugh.


	102. Confusion

**Disclaimer: **I don't own FFVII.

**One Hundred and Two**

-_Confusion_-

The wind whipped around them violently, though the air rushing over Da-Chao was hot and dry. Yuffie closed her eyes happily as she leaned against Vincent, and his cloak wound itself around her shoulders. The sun was sinking lower in the sky, and she wondered how many long days they'd spent in her hometown now. Her cousin had stepped down quietly, and she was sure he was worried putting up a fight would mean having to face her again. The council had sheepishly offered her an apology, and had stayed silent as Yuffie told them what was going to change in Wutai. She knew a lot of their compliance was thanks to how terrifying Vincent looked, as he stood behind her with his arms crossed.

"What happens now?" Vincent's deep voice startled her out of her memories, and she turned to gaze up at him with a cheerful grin.

"I have no idea." She said in amusement.

Everything was so unstable, she couldn't leave Wutai. No one seemed to know what was going on, and so far Reeve was doing a better job of controlling Wutai than she was. His team of WRO volunteers had gotten back to work, and though the people of Wutai were reluctant to accept outside help, they seemed relaxed and reassured.

Yuffie had taken to loitering around town and pacing the hallways in the palace, with Vincent watching her worriedly from the shadows. She seemed constantly deep in thought, and he was starting to feel more and more useless. He had no idea what to say to her, he didn't know how to help. He couldn't remember the last time he felt so out of place.

He knew Yuffie enjoyed the attention, but the constant stares and whispers from the townspeople made him uneasy. She was the new queen now, and having someone like Vincent constantly following her around had stirred up an impressive amount of interest. He knew that it was considered very inappropriate, regardless of whether or not he was her bodyguard. It didn't seem to worry Yuffie, and he couldn't help but worry that she wasn't taking her new role seriously enough…

He felt a nervous jolt go down his back when her lips brushed against his jaw, and he gazed down at her almost wearily. She didn't seem to notice, and he watched as she jumped to her feet. She cursed under her breath as the wind nearly knocked her over, and she struggled to get her kimono under control. Yuffie flashed him a playful grin, then started back down the mountain. It took Vincent a few minutes to follow after her, and he couldn't help the apprehension he felt when his eyes scanned over the city nestled below.


	103. Stress at Work

**Disclaimer: **I don't own FFVII.

**One Hundred and Three**

-Stress at Work-

Vincent narrowed his eyes in irritation as the men started arguing again. Yuffie put a hand to her forehead and let it slide back to pull the hair out of her face. She sighed heavily and stared at the two with tired eyes.

"Lady Kisaragi, I assure you, that was my property. I sowed those seeds myself, and my son and I were planning to go out and harvest it just a few days before." The first man said nervously. She stared at him emotionlessly, then the other man stood up in indignation.

"That was my land and you know it! You farmed my land and expect me to turn a blind eye to it?" The second man was furious, and Vincent watched as Yuffie rolled her eyes.

She was exhausted, she had tossed and turned all night, and Vincent was getting tired of seeing her so stressed.

"Please tell me someone has a property map." She said loudly as the two started bickering again. A man ran up beside her to whisper something in her ear, and she narrowed her eyes as she tried to hear him over the two men as they started fighting.

"Leviathan! Shut the hell up! If you can't show a little respect I swear I'm seizing your land and the two of you can share a marsh on the outskirts!" Yuffie snapped harshly. Vincent felt a pang go through his chest, and moments later the door slid open.

A member of the WRO slipped inside, closed the door quietly and hurried to Yuffie's side.

Vincent watched the tired look on the girl's face as the man whispered urgently in her ear. Her head bobbed to the side and she looked over at a member of the council.

"You fix this, make it fair." She said loudly before pushing herself up from her seat.

Vincent followed her out the door as the WRO member rushed ahead of them.

"Are you alright, Yuffie?" He asked gently as he drew up beside her. She let out a loud sigh and stopped in the middle of the hallway.

She reached out and brushed her fingertips along his arm, then wound them into his shirt and pulled him close. She buried her face in his chest and he let his hands fall gently on her shoulders.

"It's like babysitting a hundred toddlers at once, Vincent." She said sharply.


	104. Getting Help

I haven't worked on this story in so long, I wonder if anyone's still reading it? I felt bad about not finishing it, since it's so close to the end, so I'll try to wrap it up. I apologize if my writing is terrible, I haven't written anything in years so I'm feeling pretty rusty!

**One Hundred and Four**

-Getting Help-

Tifa let out a weary sigh as she watched her friend walk away. Yuffie didn't so much as glance back as she was led towards the palace by a solemn-faced young man. Her shoulders were slumped and she dragged her feet a bit, but showed no other outward signs of her misery.

"Oh, Vincent, she looks so _unhappy_..." Tifa put her fingertips to her cheek in worry and turned to look at him.

Vincent was resting rather stiffly in the grass beside Cloud, and neither man could seem to lift their eyes from the ground. Cloud made some kind of noise in response, and Vincent sighed heavily and nodded in agreement.

"It's been very hard on her, a lot of the people here treated her badly during her childhood. Her country is trying to recover its former glory, but she has no idea what she's doing. She's been gone for so long, she never learned how to lead a country, and the council won't teach her. They're waiting for her to give up and walk away." Reeve's deep voice broke the silence, and Tifa turned her worried gaze on him.

"Can't we do something? There has to be a way to help her." Tifa's eyes pleaded with him, and Reeve inhaled deeply in preparation for a heavy sigh.

"She needs a teacher, someone to lead the country from over her shoulder until she can do it on her own." Vincent interjected, his sharp crimson eyes darting up to stare at Reeve.

The older man seemed surprised, then slowly realized the others in their little party had followed Vincent's lead and were now watching him hopefully. "What? Me?" Reeve scrambled to his feet, staring around the group in others slowly climbed to their feet, and Tifa clasped her hands in front of her pleadingly.

"Reeve, please! You're the leader of the WRO, practically the leader of the world right now! If anyone could fix this it's you! And Yuffie adores you, she won't fight you like she would if the council chose an advisor for her." Her voice reflected a hint of hope now, and he felt a heavy fog of dread settling over him.

"Tifa's right, you're an amazing leader, exactly the person Yuffie needs right now. If you don't do this Yuffie will lose Wutai again, and this time they won't give her another chance." Cloud said quietly.

"She's risked her life for you, Reeve. You know you owe her this." Vincent's voice was more intimidating than pleading, and he stared expectantly at the other man.

Reeve thought for a moment, then sighed in defeat. He ran a hand through his hair anxiously. "Alright, I have a few people that should be able to take over the WRO for a while. I'll talk to Yuffie about it this evening."


	105. Adjusting

**One Hundred and Five**

_-Adjusting-_

Vincent watched her carefully from his place among the trees. He noted with amusement that she was wearing shoes today, and she stood with her back straight and her chin up. She radiated regal beauty and confidence, and he thought he saw her smile as she turned away from the group of smartly dressed Wutain nobles. Reeve offered her his arm politely, and she took it calmly and let him lead her away across the plaza. She seemed to notice Vincent watching her then, and he felt a smile tug at his lips as she waved gingerly at him, silently begging him to come with her. Vincent stood then, and Yuffie steered her new advisor over towards her unofficial bodyguard.

"There you are! I haven't seen you since yesterday." She was trying her best not to throw herself into Vincent's arms and kiss him, settling instead on slowly moving to his side and linking arms with him. Reeve shifted over to her other side, and together the two men lead the young queen towards the market.

"I take it things are working well for you two?" Vincent asked, glancing appreciatively at Reeve.

The older man smiled proudly and nodded."Yuffie has been very cooperative. She hasn't attacked anyone all morning." She glared up at him sharply as he laughed quietly to himself, and she muttered a curse under her breath.

Vincent checked to make sure no one was watching, then leaned over to gently kiss the top of her head. "I'm glad you are doing better, Yuffie. You seem much more relaxed around your own people now."

She smiled proudly and brushed her cheek against his shoulder for a moment. She thought back on the past few days since Reeve offered to help her, and she couldn't help the blush that colored her cheeks. She'd never been one to get all sentimental, but she was so grateful to him for removing so much stress from her life she just wanted to cry in relief. Yuffie glanced between the two men on either side of her, but neither seemed to notice the light blush coloring her cheeks. Several women smiled and bowed as they passed by, and Yuffie heard herself murmur a polite greeting.


	106. Breaking Rules

This seemed like an appropriate time to have something dirty happen, if you don't want to read it just skip this chapter. It's worse than I thought it would be, I had to change the story's rating to make myself feel better.

Holy crap, I didn't think I'd get any reviews since it's been freakin' years since I wrote anything! I'm so glad you guys are still reading! And yea, I re-read this entire story three times before I could write any new parts to it, and I wrote the damn thing...

**One Hundred and Six**

_-Breaking Rules-_

Yuffie didn't even flinch as she heard his boots thud softly on the floor beneath her window. He slid it closed quietly behind him, and she smiled to herself as she felt his fingertips brush along her shoulder. She turned slowly to gaze up at him from her place on the floor as she closed her book and slid it away from her. He knelt down until they were nearly eye-level, and she reached up to stroke the side of his face lovingly.

"I missed you." She said softly.

He gave her a smile before leaning forward and pressing his lips to hers gently. She held onto his shoulder as he wound an arm around her back and lifted her easily onto her mattress. He pressed her down against the comforter and she let out a happy moan as she brought one leg up against his hip. He shifted his weight so his human hand was free to pull up her shirt. She glanced down at his hand in surprise, and a giggle escaped her lips.

"I take it you missed me too, huh?" She murmured.

He growled in response and she gasped as he unhooked her bra and expertly flung both shirt and bra across the room. She stared up at him in excitement as he took a moment to rid himself of his cloak and shirt before pressing himself back down against her. She sighed happily at the feeling of his bare skin against her breasts, and she ran her fingers through his hair as he began kissing her neck, leaving a trail of moisture down to her collarbone. She arched her back and moaned in pleasure as he reached her breasts. After a few moments, and to her surprise, he flashed her a mischievous smile and continued down over her stomach. Vincent took a moment to admire her beauty, then slowly unbuttoned her shorts and began sliding them down her legs. He glanced up at her again, and noticed with amusement that she was watching his every move with enormous eyes. He knew he should go slower, give her more time. They hadn't had many chances to develop this part of their relationship, and she was fairly inexperienced. Then he watched her toss her panties aside and flash him a grin.

Vincent moved to kiss her again, and was surprised at her enthusiasm. She wound her fingers in his hair and deepened the kiss, moaning in pleasure against his mouth. She reached one hand down and undid his pants, pushing them down several inches before he reached to assist her. His pants joined the rest of the clothing scattered around her bedroom, and he pulled away from her mouth to kiss the side of her neck lovingly. It seemed to be more like torture to her, and she squirmed against him eagerly. Her breathing was already rather heavy, and his eyes widened in surprise when he felt her take hold of him. They shared several soft kisses as she guided him in, and he allowed himself a soft moan of pleasure at the warmth of her body.

Yuffie buried her face in his shoulder, pausing for a moment before shifting her hips and urging him to continue. He was happy to oblige, and wound an arm under her back as he increased the pace. She matched him perfectly, and let out gasps and moans of pleasure at each thrust. It didn't take long before he could tell she was close, and he tried to slow down. Instead, she bucked her hips harder, urging him on as she nipped lightly at his shoulder. She brought her legs up to wrap her thighs around him, and he felt his own climax getting closer. Yuffie drew in a sharp breath, arching her back as her lips parted in a silent scream. He felt her legs tightened around him, and she let out several shuddering moans, struggling to hold back the scream of pleasure. He lost it then, and buried his face in her neck as he came. His arm tightened around her back, and he felt her slide her hands up into his hair as she began to relax and take several deep breaths.

He sank down into the bed with her, still holding her close and breathing heavily against her flushed skin. They stayed that way for nearly an hour before Yuffie finally let out a sigh and sat up to find her clothing. She tossed Vincent his pants and shirt as she pulled her clothes back on rather stiffly. Then she sat back on the bed beside him, resting her cheek on his shoulder as she giggled to herself.

"What's so funny?" Vincent asked in amusement, glancing over at her as he slid his boots back on.

"You're damn good, Vincent. You've managed to seduce a queen!" She giggled again, and Vincent smiled to himself as he shook his head.

"I believe it was you who seduced me, and you were still just a princess back then." He replied, turning to wrap his arms around her thin shoulders.

"Wow, listen to you. 'just a princess' huh?" He rolled his eyes and wisely chose not to answer. After a few minutes Yuffie hummed to herself in amusement.

"I would be in so much trouble if anyone on the council found out about this." She mused. Vincent didn't respond, but the thought made him uneasy.


	107. Friendly Advice

Sorry I haven't added much more lately, I've been preoccupied since I finally decided to start writing some original short stories. My mom's a writing professor so that's pretty much all she wanted for Christmas -_-... Anyway, turns out a lot of my original writing is very dark and horrible, so after I clean it up I'll be posting it on deviantart if anyone is interested.

Also, I apologize in advance for any errors. I've got a Macbook so I use Pages instead of Microsoft Word, and I'm having a hard time exporting rich text documents... I really suck at technology. This is so dumb, they're just words so how come they are so many different file types?

**Chapter One Hundred and Seven**

_-Friendly Advice-_

Tifa spun around when she heard the door open, leaning out of the kitchen to see who would wander into the bar so early in the morning. Her face lit up when she realized just who it was, and she set down the pan she was washing to rush over.

"Vincent! It's always good to see you! Where's Yuffie?" She wrapped her arms around his broad shoulders, and noticed in surprise that he made a one-armed effort at returning the gesture.

"She was very busy in Wutai. Reeve has taught her so much, she's starting to figure out different ways to help her people on her own now." He said quietly. Tifa smiled happily.

"I always knew she would be a great ruler someday, she just needed the right teacher!" Tifa started back over to the counter, then paused and glanced back at Vincent with a more or less confused expression.

"Hey, now that I think about it, you're really not much of a social person. How's that going to work? I mean, Yuffie is a queen after all..." She felt bad after saying it, since for once Vincent actually looked like her comment had struck a nerve.

Tifa stood beside the counter awkwardly for a moment, fidgeting a little and watching to see if Vincent would react any further. He sighed heavily, then moved over and slumped down onto one of the barstools.

"I don't know..." He murmured. Tifa moved behind the counter slowly, then grabbed two glasses and poured drinks for the two of them. She realized then just what he'd come to her bar for. She couldn't help but feel some pride, knowing that the once reclusive man valued her opinion.

"Lately I've been thinking that it would be so much better for her if I just..." He said softly, his voice trailing off. He wrapped his hands around the glass she set in front of him.

"Oh Vincent... She loves you so much, she would be devastated if you left just because you didn't think you were the right man for her. You know how she loves to be dramatic." She wasn't sure what to say, she'd never expected Vincent to care what anyone thought of anything, especially if it was the one thing in this world that truly brought him happiness.

"It's just that people have been asking her about our relationship, and she's been called in to the council several times now because they heard different accusations and rumors. I'm hurting her image." He stared down at the table, then closed his eyes and took a long drink. Tifa sighed in exasperation.

"I swear, people these days..." She muttered. Then a thought hit her, and she stared over at Vincent in excitement. "Hey! Why don't the two of you just get married? If you're legally married, no one can say shit about your relationship!" She was smiling broadly at him, and pretended not to notice when he nearly choked on the mouthful of liquid.

She handed him a napkin as he slowly cleaned himself up and tried his best to regain some composure, but she continued smiling at him waiting for an answer.

"Well. That is something I honestly had not given much thought." He said quietly, looking a little flustered.

"You guys have been together for years, don't you think it's about time?" Tifa said gently.

Vincent stared down at the countertop, then slowly brought one hand up to rub his face.


	108. At Home

**Chapter One Hundred and Eight**

_-At Home-**  
**_

Vincent gazed up at the pagoda, feeling slightly detached and more than a little lost. This was definitely not where he'd seen his life heading, but now that he really thought about it, he didn't feel like it was a bad choice, either. He liked it here, even with all the people bustling about, every so often stopping to strike up casual conversations with him. It was a peaceful, happy community, and he felt like he could really set up a life here if he so chose. He knew he wasn't about to blend into a crowd, but the Wutain people had grown accustomed to having him around over the past year, and he realized now how relieving it was to be able to stand in a city street and not have anyone cower away from him. They'd seen how close he was to their queen, and had therefore earned a place with them.

Vincent watched with amusement as a tiny girl was led through the marketplace by her mother. She saw him standing there in the shade of a tree, and waved enthusiastically to him. He felt himself smile down at her as she passed, and the girl's mother offered him a warm hello before they were past him and rushing on to their next destination. After a while he decided to move along up to the palace, to see how Yuffie and Reeve were doing. Several men were seated along the stream running through town, relaxing in the some and fishing. They all waved cheerfully at him, and he returned the gesture with what he hoped was a pleasant smile. All the way up to the palace, no one screamed when they saw him, no one went out of their way to avoid him, and no one scowled at him. He felt like for once, he could fit in somewhere.

He began to think then that maybe Tifa was right. Maybe this was the life he'd wanted for so long without realizing. This was the place where his beloved had grown up, this was why he found her high spirits and enthusiasm so charming.

Then he felt someone grab his should and heave him sideways through the bushes that lined one side of the path. He landed flat on his back, and stared up at Yuffie's smiling face. Then she leaned down, and she was kissing him, and he felt like there should have been music. He wound his arms around her slender frame and pulled her closer, and then she broke the kiss to snuggle down against his neck.

"I thought you'd be gone a lot longer." She mused softly.

"Me too. I guess I missed you too much." His deep voice tickled against her ear, and she sighed happily.

The warm afternoon sun filtered through the low-hanging branches of the trees, and he closed his eyes and they lay together in the grass. They could hear people passing by only a few steps away, but the brush was too think for anyone to see them. The soft sound of the stream echoed up around them, and as he ran his fingers through her hair.

"Yuffie?" He asked quietly.

"Hmmm?" Her response was muffled against his neck.

"What were you doing in the bushes?"

She giggled softly, but didn't offer an explanation.


	109. Consequences

Oh god! There's so much drama! I honestly have no idea how this happened. I apologize in advance for what you're about to read.

Also WTF? I have the version I wrote in Pages open, and the document manager is open, and the version it uploads isn't the same as the one I wrote... There are random words deleted and some words are changed completely. I am seriously looking at both copies just completely confused! Does this happen to other people or are my assumptions that Skynet isn't far off possibly true?

**Chapter One Hundred and Nine**

_-Consequences-_

It was mid-afternoon were Reeve had finally found him near the chocobo stables. Vincent hadn't said a word when the older man ran up to him, panting and looking flustered. Reeve had explained that Yuffie was more or less having a meltdown, and then escorted him back to palace.

He now stood outside Yuffie's bedroom door, and he couldn't help but notice that Reeve had strategically evacuated the palace. There were sounds of things being thrown inside, then a few moments of silence before a string of profanities reached his ears. He glanced back at Reeve warily.

"I have no idea. Go fix it." He said seriously, before turning and quickly walking away.

Vincent steeled himself, then knocked nervously on the door.

"What?" He heard Yuffie shriek, then forced himself not to jump as she slammed the door open.

She scowled darkly at him, then turned her back to continue destroying her bedroom. He stepped inside carefully and closed the door behind him. Yuffie was in the process of not only breaking everything in her room, but she was wrenching on one leg of her table to make sure it couldn't be easily repaired.

"Yuffie, what's wrong?" He asked gently, putting on hand on her rather small shoulder. She threw the table against the wall and turned on him, her eyes blazing with fury.

"Everything! Absolutely everything! It's all fucked up and I can't fucking fix it!" She shrieked, tugging at her hair before falling to her knees.

"I can't do it, Vincent. I just can't. They expect so much out of me, and I keep disappointing them, I can't take it anymore..." She started the cry and leaned against his chest when he joined her on the floor.

"Yuffie... You're doing so well, you just have to be patient and keep trying. I know it's hard, but you can't give up. This is what you're meant to be, and you're not alone. Reeve is here to help you, and I'll always be here with you." He said gently, giving her a reassuring kiss on the cheek.

"You can't give up, I know you're stronger than that. I love you, Yuffie. I love everything about you, and..." He felt a wave of nervousness choke him up, but he forced himself to continue. "I... I want to marry you, Yuffie. I want to spend the rest of my life right here next to you."

He felt her sobbing pause suddenly when she heard his words, and after a few little hiccups she looked up at him.

"You want to marry me..?" She asked hesitantly.

He nodded seriously, and she gave him a small smile, then wrapped her arms around him in a tight hug.

"Oh Vincent..." Her voice trailed off and she leaned her head up to kiss him. He rubbed her back gently, and after a moment, he noticed tears began to roll down her cheeks again.

"Vincent... There's something I need to tell you..." She said sadly, and he gazed down at her in confusion as she hiccuped again.

"Yuffie? What's wrong?" He asked worriedly.

She cringed, more tears rolling down her cheeks as she seemed to try and cough up the words she was looking for. She bit her lip, sobbed a couple more times, and knotted her fists in his cloak and almost laughed.

"I'm pregnant."

Her words hit him like a sledgehammer, and if she hadn't been crouched in front of him, offering support, he might have crumpled on the floor. He stared off into the distance, hearing her words in his head over and over but just not quite understanding them. After a few moments, Yuffie leaned forward to peer into his distant eyes with worry.

"Are you alright..?" She asked softly, her tears finally coming to a stop as she worried about whether or not she'd just broken him.

"You're... pregnant..." He muttered, finally glancing down at her. Yuffie offered him a rather unenthusiastic smile and nodded.

"Yeah... I guess that happens sometimes. One of the maids smuggled me a test this afternoon..." She said gently, reaching up to put a hand on his shoulder.

"So... we are going to be..." He seemed to have snapped, and Yuffie watched him carefully.

"Parents... Yes. You put a little no-name Valentine in my tummy." She was starting to get bored now, and wished she could go back to destroying all the furniture in her room.

"So, still want to marry me?" She asked a little nervously.

Vincent's eyes snapped down to meet hers, and he grabbed her shoulders to pull her into a rather rough kiss.

"Yes." He said simply, before kissing her again. She couldn't stop a smile from spreading across her face, and he kissed her once again before releasing her and pulling her close to him in a hug.


	110. Reality

**Chapter One Hundred and Ten**

_-Reality-_

Tifa was almost startled when she turned around and realized Vincent was standing in her bar again. It was early morning, and her immediate thought was that she'd given him bad advice and he'd foolishly followed it. She rushed to get him a drink before offering any kind of greeting.

"Good morning, Tifa." He said rather casually.

She gave him an odd look and returned the greeting before handing him a glass of vodka lemonade and taking a few long drinks from her own.

"Okay. So. What happened. You were here less than a week ago and I know you don't come around to socialize." She said a bit harshly.

She was waiting for him to criticize her, or lash out in anger, but he simply smiled and sipped lightly at the glass she'd given him.

"Yuffie and I are getting married." He said softly.

He pulled an envelope from his pocket and slid it across the counter to the woman. She stared down at it suspiciously, then relaxed and gave him an ecstatic smile.

"That's great, Vincent!" She nearly screamed in her excitement, and tore the envelope open to read the extravagant invitation. After a moment her brow furrowed and she gave Vincent an awkward glance.

"Don't you think next month is a bit soon? I mean, I'm super excited for both of you, but it takes a while to plan a wedding, and Yuffie's a queen! Her wedding should take quite a while to get together, it seems like it's a bit rushed..." She said worriedly.

She didn't really start to feel like something was wrong until she glanced at Vincent and saw the light color on his cheeks and the doom and dread he was otherwise emanating.

"Yes, about that... It seems that Yuffie is... pregnant. So we both decided it would be a good idea to get married as soon as possible to avoid any unsavory attention." He said gently.

There was a violent shattering noise as Tifa's glass hit the floor, and moments later Cloud peeked around the corner of the staircase.

"What happened?" He asked in alarm.

Tifa was staring at Vincent with a strange look on her face, and at the sound of Cloud's voice she seemed to snap to attention and immediately leaned down to scrub up the mess she'd made.

"Yuffie is pregnant." She said over her shoulder. Cloud's eyes widened in surprise, then he glared daggers at Vincent.

"And the wedding is in less than a month, so you'd better find something nice to wear." Tifa added in a rather threatening voice. Cloud glared at both of them then, and slowly wandered back up the stairs.

"I don't want to know. Tell me when it's over." He muttered darkly.


	111. True Love

The hell?! Apparently I wrote a chapter and totally never posted it... My bad...

**Chapter One Hundred and Eleven**

_-True Love-_

Vincent couldn't help but feel relief after he gave Yuffie a gentle kiss and everyone's attention seemed to be immediately averted. He watched as she was rushed out into the garden for some pictures, and Cid immediately wrapped an arm around his shoulders and more or less dragged him out onto the opposite patio and immediately urged him to take several shots of whiskey.

"Trust me, alcohol is your friend today." The man said gently as Vincent smiled politely. He accepted the drinks, but was almost immediately sorry when he felt his head spinning as he gazed upon Yuffie's final dress. She was waiting for him near the back door of the church, and he could tell that Tifa had picked this dress out. The women hadn't wasted any time, and he felt another tight cramp in his stomach when he remembered they were trying not to stage an unexpected pregnancy.

He smiled and nodded and shook hands all around, until people seemed to lose interest. Then he wrapped one reassuring arm around Yuffie.

She looked up at him for the first time since the ceremony. He couldn't identify the expression on her face, but he brushed his knuckles reassuringly along her back just the same.

"I feel horrible." Yuffie said softly. Vincent immediately gave her a surprised look, then steeled himself.

"About what?" He asked nonchalantly. His stomach felt sick, and he was terrified that worrying about it would make it worse. He knew everyone was watching them, countless people, just watching simply because Yuffie was the Queen of Wutai. He felt another terrified cramp when he realized what it would mean if he were to slip up now.

Yuffie smiled grimly at him, then took the time to brush her fingers eagerly along his jaw. He couldn't help but smile, and after a moment he leaned down to kiss his young bride.

"I feel like I trapped you..." She said softly. Vincent smiled to himself.

"Unless you'd forgotten, I proposed to you before I knew your current state of health." He said lovingly. "And nothing at all has changed the way I feel about you." He said confidently. Yuffie smiled up at him and seemed to relax.


	112. Good Times

AN/ Wow, I'm alive! Hey, everybody! I totally saw that over 100,000 people had read this, and then realized there were reviews I hadn't seen and some other excuses and such. So I kind of decided to go ahead and update this story. In case anybody's interested, I have, by now, written 3 original books and may possibly be posting them online, for people I totally don't know to read and judge for free. But I have yet to decide. I just thought writing original books was a better excuse than "ooooh I forgot!" so I thought I'd go ahead and try it. Also, how about that new Borderlands?! Good shit. Can hardly stop playing. Waiting for that damn mechromancer. I'm just assuming since this is a gaming fanfic that somebody else out there knows the plague of loving Borderlands perhaps_ too much._ My man doesn't get it, but whatever. To each his own, right?! Anyway, on with this story! Contrary to popular belief, I actually do know where it's going and all that jazz. I just gotta write it down…

**One Hundred and Twelve**

**-Good Times-**

"Sir, I'm afraid I'm going to have to ask you to leave."

The shy little voice was so unexpected, Vincent nearly jumped. He stared down at the tiny woman as violent laughter swept up from behind her.

"I swear to Leviathan, if you don't let my husband in I will gut you myself." Yuffie grinned maniacally from the bed. The nurse bowed in slight terror and backed away as Vincent swept into the room.

"My lord! I was so worried you would not arrive in time! Her majesty is…" A young man was caught unawares and hurried to piece together an explanation in utter terror.

"Enough. I have seen childbirth before." Vincent said solemnly, sounding nearly bored. The young man seemed relieved, and hurriedly relinquished his place by the young queen's side as Vincent moved to take his place. He watched the young man wipe sweat from his brow before muttering a gentle blessing and slipping out the door. Vincent couldn't help but grin to himself at that.

"What. Is so fucking funny." Yuffie grunted from the bed beside him. She wasn't trying to be snarky, simply curious. Vincent kissed her sweat-drenched forehead.

"Even in your most vulnerable state, some of your subjects fear you. It is funny because I cannot imagine fearing you." He said simply.

Yuffie belted out rough laughter, followed by several moans of discomfort.

"Your horrible offspring is trying to kill me." She said softly. Vincent's smile grew wider.

"He is merely trying to live, my love. Perhaps you should try letting him out." Vincent said expertly. Yuffie fumed, but couldn't think of a winning retaliation. Instead she screamed in pain and lashed one hand around his forearm.

"He's crowning!" A nurse shrieked from between Yuffie's legs. She growled in anger and pushed harder.

"If he was _my_ son, he'd be out by now!" She yelled furiously. Vincent openly laughed, despite everyone's shock.

"If he was your son, he'd be in Midgar by now." He said seriously. Yuffie tried to punch him, missed terribly, then gripped the bedpost and shrieked as another contraction hit her.

"Where the flying fuck is the anesthesiologist?!" Yuffie shrieked. The doctor loitering nearby seemed to scowl, but he was wearing a mask so she couldn't be sure.

"It is way past that time, my Lady. Your labor came on too quickly." He said seriously. In response, Yuffie tightened her grip and screamed, and Vincent offered her his armored hand in return.

"How much longer?" Vincent snapped. The doctor shrugged slightly.

"It is impossible to know, the child could be born in minutes, or days. Her body was not ready for this, it is complicated." The doctor said sternly. Yuffie shrieked again.

"Well let him know whenever you decide, 'cuz to me it feels like he wants out _now_!" She yowled. Vincent wrapped and arm around behind her shoulders and helped prop her up, and she tried her best not to crush his armored hand as another violent contration wracked her body. Vincent heard the doctor utter a curse in disbelief, then he was between Yuffie's legs and the nurses were rushing back and forth calling for help.

"It's much too early! It can't be helped now, the Queen was too young for this, but we will do our best to save the child." The doctor said a bit distastefully. Terror gripped Vincent for the first time in nearly a decade, and he was frozen staring at the man as he held his wife's hand. Yuffie shrieked something he couldn't quite make out, but he knew it was derogatory, then her eyes rolled back in her head and her body relaxed.

"Yuffie? Yuffie!" Vincent shook her violently, and her eyes snapped open angrily.

"What?! Shit! I just squeezed an entire human being out of my vagina, let me take a freaking nap!" She seethed fury, and Vincent withdrew slightly as he wondered if she cared at all about the fate of the child. Then the screaming began.

Vincent's gaze snapped over to the doctor, and he immediately recognized the tiny thing held in the man's hands. He was so awestruck that he couldn't move, and he simply watched as the tiny thing was passed from nurse to nurse, into the sink, out again, onto a special cradle, then swaddled and picked up. Several nurses scribbled things on their papers, but one thrust the tiny thing into his arms and offered a plucky 'good luck" before departure. He stood there, holding the tiny person he and Yuffie had made, and wondering how in the hell his life had managed to come to this.

The horrible little thing shrieked, saw his face, then growled irritably. He knew then that he was doomed. This child was so much so his son, from birth it was displaying his traits. Yuffie would never put up with such a thing. He was one thing, her own son was another. He could all but smell the family tension brewing here. He was too much like both of them. Reeve smiled.

"Let me see! It's only the single most anticipated birth of the decade." The man stated as he crossed his arms. Vincent hesitated, then slowly moved over and showed the baby boy to Reeve. His suspicions were confirmed, and the boy smiled and giggled for Reeve.

His mother's son. It would take time to see how this turns out...


End file.
